The father of missing 10-year-old Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou says he hasn’t stopped hoping his son will be found alive.
Frédéric Kouakou met with the media Thursday at a church not far from his home in Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
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He said he would like to see Montreal police dedicate a division solely responsible to search for missing children. Kouakou was joined by Michel Surprenant, the father of Julie Surprenant, who went missing in 1999.
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Kouakou said hope is what is keeping him going each day. He describes the last 30 days as a nightmare — but he believes his son will be found.
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“I want to keep the flame alive,” he said.
“I want to express the profound sadness that one month has gone by. Thirty long days, 30 long nights without my son.”
Ariel disappeared March 12. He was last seen in Parc des Bateliers.
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Video surveillance shows him in the park, which sits next to the Rivière des Prairies.
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Police divers have stopped searching in the river because of dangerous conditions. While police say they believe the boy drowned, they insist they are investigating all possible theories.
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Kouakou said he has leaned on Surprenant for support in the last month.
“He answers my calls and we talk,” he said.
“I have only experienced this for 30 days. He has experienced it for 19 years.”
Surprenant said it’s especially difficult for families with missing children when the media attention disappears.
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“It gives you something to keep your mind busy,” he said.
“You feel very lonely when it all goes away.”
Kouakou thanked the police, volunteers and Montrealers for their help in searching for his missing boy.
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He said he wants to keep the story in the news, so people continue searching and keeping their eyes open for his son.
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