Gardaí in Swords have confirmed they are continuing to investigate all of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of seven-year-old Daniel Aruebose.
Yesterday, Wednesday, September 17, An Garda Síochána discovered human skeletal remains of a child.
In a statement, a Garda spokesperson said:
“An Garda Síochána believe these to be the remains of Daniel Aruebose.
An Garda Síochána is currently engaging with the local coroner in relation to the discovery of these remains.
The remains will be subject of careful and sensitive exhumation from the current burial site.
Formal identification of the remains will now have to be carried out including DNA analysis.”
Daniel was known to have lived at The Gallery Apartments in Donabate. It has been a number of years since there has been any confirmed sighting of him.
Concerns for his welfare were raised by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) to An Garda Síochána on Friday, 29 August 2025.
Following enquiries and information available to date, Gardaí are satisfied that Daniel is deceased.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information about his death to contact the investigation team at Swords Garda Station on 01 666 4700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
As part of the investigation, Gardaí carried out a technical examination of an apartment at The Gallery Apartments, Donabate, on Sunday, 31 August 2025, and have been conducting house-to-house enquiries at the complex.
An Garda Síochána is appealing to anyone who lived in The Gallery Apartments, Donabate, between July 2019 and the present date to speak with the investigation team.
On Monday, 1 September 2025, Gardaí took control of an area of open ground in Donabate, which has since been the focus of extensive searches and has now led to the discovery of human skeletal remains.
The investigation is being led by a Senior Investigating Officer based at an incident room in Swords Garda Station. Local Gardaí are being supported by Crime East DMR North, the Divisional Search Team, Divisional Scenes of Crime Team, and Uniform and Community Policing resources.
National units including the Garda National Technical Bureau, Garda Air Support Unit, Garda Dog Unit, and the Garda Síochána Analysis Service are also assisting, along with external experts including a forensic anthropologist, forensic archaeologist, and specialist PSNI cadaver dogs.
An Garda Síochána has appealed to the public not to assume the investigation team already knows any information they may have, or that what they know is insignificant. Any contact will be welcomed and treated in the strictest confidence.
Gardaí are also urging the public to verify any information they may see in relation to the investigation, including speculation, rumours or theories about what may have happened to Daniel, and to independently fact-check any content seen on social media or messaging apps.