German police and the International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, appealed for help to identify a boy who was found dead in the Danube river more than a year ago.

In a statement, Interpol said it was seeking help from the public "to determine the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death."

The child's body was discovered on May 19, 2022, near Grossmehring in the state of Bavaria in southeast Germany.

Interpol casts net wide in search for answers

Interpol issued a "Black Notice" to alert police in the organization's 195 member countries. The notices are a way to gather intelligence on unidentified bodies. 

The results of the investigation suggest that he likely spend time outside Germany, Interpol said.

Jurgen Stock, the Secretary General of the organization, called upon the global enforcement community to cross-check databases and consult open or unsolved cases.

“Someone, somewhere knows something about this boy, making it equally important to release certain details publicly," Stock said.

"Whether he was the victim of trafficking, abduction or violence, we are committed to mobilizing all of INTERPOL’s policing capabilities to identify him and help investigators shed light on his death,” he added.

Child's body weighed down with stone

The boy, thought to be aged between five and six, was found weighed down with a flagstone slab and wrapped in foil in the river.

The organization published greater details, including facial reconstruction images and physical characteristics, as part of the public appeal to identify the boy.

Police said he was approximately 110 cm tall, had brown hair and weighed 15 kilograms.

It's not known how long the body was in the water when it was discovered.

rm/kb (AFP, DW sources)