Gardaí have announced they are now treating the death of Daniel Aruebose as a homicide. 

The boy from Donabate, North County Dublin would have been eight years old today were he alive. 

However, in September, his remains were found by Gardaí during a search of wasteland close to where he had once lived in the town. 

“Standard social welfare checks that are carried out regularly triggered a suspicion that maybe something was wrong in the case of Daniel Aruebose because he did not seem to be registered to a school,” Irish Independent journalist Conor Feehan told Newstalk Breakfast. 

“At that age he should have been in school.”

Flowers in Donabate. Picture by: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Inquiries were made by Tusla who, once it became clear that no one had seen Daniel in some time, called Gardaí.

Daniel’s mother was questioned in connection to the case. 

“A search of her apartment found a photograph of Daniel and a teddy bear, but nothing else,”  Mr Feehan added. 

“Daniel's mother had claimed that Daniel was living down in the south of the country with relatives.

“But follow up searches there and inquiries yielded nothing. 

“So, it was at that point then that Daniel's mother was interviewed again and she admitted that he had died and been buried on waste ground nearby in Donabate.” 

Members of the public leave flowers, candles and teddy bears at the site in Donabate where Daniel was found. Picture by: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie.

A search of the area found skeletal remains and now DNA testing has confirmed the body was that of Daniel. 

Today’s update means Gardaí believe that Daniel did not die from natural causes and that his death was at the hands of another person. 

It is different from a murder investigation because it does not rule out the possibility that his death was manslaughter.  

Mr Feehan continued that it is probably “no coincidence” that Gardaí launched their investigation on Daniel’s eighth birthday. 

“People will be thinking of where Daniel should be now in life, but instead will be seeing photographs in today's paper of the wasteland where he was found,” he said. 

“So, I think launching the appeal on his birthday is a deliberate move by Gardaí in their quest to try and find out more about what happened to him.

Anyone with any information has been asked to contact Swords Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line.

Main image: Daniel Aruebose: