Family unveils updated poster of Ariel Kouakou 7 years after he went missing in Montreal
'We are still driven by this hope of finding him," father says
The parents of Ariel Kouakou, the Missing Children's Network and Montreal police unveiled on Thursday an updated poster of Ariel, who was reported missing seven years ago.
Ariel disappeared at the age of 10 from the Ahuntsic neighbourhood, in Montreal's north end, on March 12, 2018. At the time, police said they believed the boy fell into a nearby river.
Last year, the network presented an age-progression image of Ariel produced by Sûreté du Québec (SQ) experts.
The boy's father, Frédéric Kouakou, told reporters on Thursday that he believes the efforts of volunteers and police to find his son will not be in vain.
"Every day, it's true that we are still in pain, but we are still driven by this hope of finding him," Kouakou said.
Asked how he could remain hopeful, Kouakou said, "For us, no body must mean that Ariel is alive. That's one thing that no one can take away from me. No one can take that hope from me."
Mélanie Aubut, executive director of the Missing Children's Network, said the poster serves as a reminder that Ariel is still missing.
"It's a gesture to say that we continue to work together every day so that he comes home," Aubut said.
Montreal police chief Fady Dagher said the case remains open and, even after seven years, police are still receiving tips about the case. However, he didn't want to disclose more details to avoid jeopardizing the investigation.
"The new picture is a very, very important picture. For us, I'm convinced we're going to receive more phone calls and we're going to validate those calls," Dagher said.
He added that the public shouldn't underestimate the information they have and urged people to report what they know.
Ariel was last seen leaving his home on foot to visit a friend. He has not been seen since.
Written by Holly Cabrera