It’s been a long six years to the day since young Ariel Kouakou went missing in March of 2018.
To mark the tragic anniversary, the Missing Children’s Network unveiled a digitally aged picture of the Montreal boy Tuesday.
Kouakou was 10 years old at the time of his disappearance from the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough.
Kouakou was last seen leaving his home on foot to go to a friend’s house.
Surveillance footage showed images of him entering a nearby park on the banks of the icy Rivière des Prairies, but he was not seen leaving the park.
The digitally aged photo was produced by experts from the Sûreté du Québec.
The publication of the image aims to inform the public of the boy’s face and what it would look like today.
Officials hope the image will solicit any new information that could help police with their ongoing investigation into his disappearance.
Frédéric Kouakou, Ariel’s father, told members of the Missing Children’s Network that the unveiling of the image also aims to stimulate collective memory.
Mélanie Aubut, the executive director, added that the organization remains alongside Ariel’s family and noted that every missing child deserves to be remembered.
Anyone who may have information about Ariel can contact Montreal police at 514-393-1133 or the Missing Children’s Network at 1 833-632-4673.
— with files from The Canadian Press