A toddler’s body has been found just 50cm from the surface of the ground in a back garden in Melbourne as police investigated the disappearance of a child who was never reported missing
Police have found remains of a toddler in a back garden (file image)(Image: Getty Images)
A toddler’s body has been found buried in a back garden by police investigating a disappearance. Police found the remains, that have been there for over a decade, after digging for six hours.
The shocking discovery of the 18-month-old boy was made at a home in Melbourne, Australia. The child was buried in a ‘grave’ just 50cm from the surface at the home in Brookfield, according to 7 News.
It is believed that the body belongs to a boy who lived at the home with his two siblings in 2014, before the family returned overseas, potentially to Albania. The toddler was not reported missing at the time but Melton Crime Investigation Unit commenced an investigation into the disappearance earlier this year.
The home’s current owner was told by police that they believe there may be a body buried just metres from his back door. This caused huge shock to the resident as well as the wider neighbourhood. He said: “Something like this is not supposed to happen but it’s happened 14 years ago. Something very bad. Very terrible.”
Victoria Police stressed that the current owners have no connection with the investigation or the previous residents of the property. The force also said that the remains are yet to be formally identified however it is believed that they were tipped off by a relative of the toddler who could no longer retain the information.
Victoria Police have released a statement(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The police said in a statement: “On Monday, 8 December, with assistance from the Missing Persons Squad, Australian Federal Police, Major Crime Scene Unit and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, the property was searched.
“A preliminary excavation of the area uncovered the yet to be formally identified human remains around 1:30pm. The coroner has been advised and a post-mortem will occur in due course.
“The Missing Persons Squad will now assume primacy of the investigation which remains ongoing.” It is not yet known if authorities have reached out to Albanian authorities but Australia does have an extradition treaty with the Balkan country.
Missing Persons officers in Australia are also working to locate a missing four-year-old. The youngster Gus Lamont disappeared just over two months ago into the vast Australian outback.
The blonde curly haired child has been described as both shy and adventurous. His disappearance has gained huge media attention and henceforth large scale police searches.
Data suggests that roughly 50,000 people go missing in Australia every year, but the majority, 99 per cent, are found. Out of this number many of the disappearances are seen as intentional and those that are unintentional often involve getting lost of are a result of mental issues.
According to the Australian federal police’s National Missing Persons Coordination Centre approximately two thirds of those that go missing are under the age of 18.
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