The remains of a three-year-old boy have been found on undeveloped land, but authorities have not yet confirmed if they belong to the missing child, Daniel Aruebose.
Human remains, suspected to be those of the young boy, were discovered on September 17 in northern Dublin, following an extensive search by the Garda’s DMR North Divisional Search Team. The body had been manually buried in a marshy area.
Despite this finding, DNA tests are still pending to officially identify the child’s remains. A spokesperson from the Garda stated that there is no update on the DNA identification process at the moment.
Authorities are continuing to seek information regarding the circumstances surrounding Daniel’s death. The child went missing in the summer of 2021 and was allegedly buried by his parents, Maria Aruebose and Ciaran Dirrean, from the Aran Islands, Co Galway. The parents confessed to disposing of his body in a shallow grave, claiming he died naturally.
The couple admitted to transporting the child’s body in a backpack for almost 4km from their residence at The Gallery in Donabate to a makeshift grave along Portrane Road. It was disclosed that Daniel was dressed in his day clothes and laid to rest with his cherished teddy bear given to him by his foster parents.
Following Daniel’s death, Mr. Dirrane relocated to Brazil to start a new life, while Ms. Aruebose remained in Donabate. The confirmation of the child’s skeletal remains, believed to be Daniel’s, came after a 16-day search by the Gardaí.
The discovery marked a tragic conclusion to the search for the missing toddler. Authorities are awaiting DNA outcomes to confirm the child’s identity. An inconclusive post-mortem examination has been performed, and further tests are underway to determine the cause of death.
During a vigil held in memory of Daniel in Donabate, parish priest Fr. Pat O’Reilly expressed the community’s shock and helplessness, emphasizing the need for closure. He mentioned that the community stands ready to demonstrate their love for the young boy if his funeral takes place in Donabate.
Regarding funeral arrangements for Daniel, Fr. O’Reilly mentioned that no updates have been received yet as tests are still ongoing. Daniel’s disappearance was revealed during a routine inspection by officers from the Department of Social Protection, leading to alerts to Tusla.
The parents of the deceased child maintain that he died in his sleep from natural causes. They stated that they found him deceased in bed and buried him in a shallow grave with his treasured teddy bear. The search for the three-year-old began on September 2 after the area in Donabate was secured by authorities.
Reports indicate that a new phone owned by Daniel’s mother was seized by the authorities as part of the investigation, along with a single photograph of Daniel found in their apartment. Both phones are undergoing forensic analysis to gather potential information relevant to the case.
The investigation is focusing on the analysis of the seized phones to determine any communication or activities that could shed light on the mother’s actions before and after Daniel’s death and burial. Daniel was initially put up for adoption but returned to his parents after they were provided with housing by the Fingal County Council.
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