Belgian judicial authorities announced on Monday that the body of a child had been discovered and could be that of five-year-old Tyméo, who has been missing with his father since the end of June. An autopsy scheduled for Tuesday is expected to confirm the child's identity.
Belgian police had been actively searching for Tyméo and his 29-year-old father, Bryan Brigou, since they were last seen in Onhaye, southern Belgium, on 27 June.
"On 24 August, at around 11am, following a new witness statement, the Federal Judicial Police discovered the body of a child on an embankment alongside the N97 near Onhaye", the Namur public prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
The child has not yet been formally identified, but items found at the scene suggest it could be Tyméo, prosecutors said.
The circumstances and cause of the child's death are not yet known. The prosecutor's office added that no line of enquiry had been ruled out and that all possibilities were being investigated.
Despite extensive searches in the area, authorities have so far been unable to locate the boy's father.
Belgian media previously reported that Brigou was wearing an electronic tag at the time of his disappearance following a conviction for violence.
His car was later found empty in Onhaye after he and his son were reported missing.
Police have declined to say whether they suspect the father of abducting his son.
