Police in Melbourne, Australia, have discovered the remains of a toddler buried in a backyard, following a disappearance that has remained unresolved for over a decade. The body, believed to belong to an 18-month-old boy, was found at a property in Brookfield after six hours of excavation on 8 December 2023.
The search was initiated by the Melton Crime Investigation Unit earlier this year, prompted by new information regarding the child’s disappearance. The toddler is thought to have lived at the residence with his two siblings in 2014, before the family reportedly moved overseas, potentially to Albania. Notably, the child had not been reported missing at that time.
The current resident of the property was informed by police that a body might be buried just meters from his rear entrance. The shocking revelation has deeply affected both the resident and the local community. The resident stated, “Something like this is not supposed to happen but it’s happened 14 years ago. Something very bad. Very terrible.”
Victoria Police have made it clear that the present owners of the property are not linked to the investigation or the previous occupants. The police confirmed that the remains are yet to be officially identified, but they received a tip-off from a family member of the toddler who felt compelled to come forward.
In a statement, police detailed the search operation: “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 13:30.”
The coroner has been notified, and a post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place. The Missing Persons Squad will take over the investigation, which remains ongoing.
As investigations continue, it is unclear whether Australian authorities have reached out to their Albanian counterparts. Australia maintains an extradition agreement with Albania, which may play a crucial role in further developments related to this case.
The tragic discovery has raised numerous questions about the circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance and the years that followed.
