Professor Explains the Disappearance Case of Arian – Next Phase Brings Sad Certainty
A young boy has been missing since April. Criminal expert details the four phases in the case of Arian.
Since the end of April, the young boy Arian from Bremervörde has been missing. A Berlin criminal professor explains the phases in this case.
Where is Arian (6)? This question is on the minds of family members, friends, neighbors – and many people in the region who are following the case. The police, supported by the Bundeswehr and volunteers, have searched areas around the boy’s home and the nearby Oste River multiple times. The six-year-old boy left his parents‘ house at the end of April and has been untraceable since.
Christian Matzdorf, a professor of criminology and criminal technology at the Berlin University of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin), explains how the police have been handling the case. He praises the sometimes very creative approach of the police: „Much speaks for a systematic and child-friendly approach. Especially under these circumstances,“ says Matzdorf. Because: Arian is autistic, he cannot articulate himself and does not respond to direct communication. A challenge for the search teams, as Arian cannot respond to calls.
Matzdorf explains the structure of the Arian case. Phase I involves quick action, as time is a crucial factor at this point. It is about hours and risk prevention. Legal proceedings are not the focus, but rather about saving the child. This phase ended in the Arian case after a week, according to Matzdorf. At this point, the officers ended the search with the premise of finding the child alive.
Phase II focuses on clarification. Here, the suspicion is raised that an accident or a crime may have occurred. The expert categorizes this period as „clarifying.“ „The investigators are now examining the circumstances of the disappearance and starting where he was last seen,“ describes former investigator Axel Petermann to „Ippen.Media.“
The investigation phase follows. Existing information is evaluated and new information is actively sought, according to the expert. The case is currently in this phase, as the authorities continue to search areas, interview neighbors.
In the fourth phase, these activities are suspended, and the case becomes a „Cold Case“ that remains unsolved. In mid-May, police spokesperson Heiner van der Werp said: „We are all professionals enough. But it is a special case that leaves one not indifferent. We are doing everything humanly possible to find Arian.“