According to the New Zealand police, two young children of primary school age were discovered among human remains that were found in a storage unit that had been purchased by a family. It is possible that the youngsters had been deceased for years.
The remains were found in suitcases that were discovered by a family in South Auckland who had purchased the contents of an abandoned storage locker at an auction.
During a press conference on Thursday, Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua stated that the police considered the remains to be those of two children with ages ranging from five to 10 years old.
“Early indications show these youngsters may have been deceased for a number of years prior to being found last week.
“Early indications show these youngsters may have been deceased for a number of years prior to being found last week. “We also suspect the suitcases have been in storage for a number of years,” he continued, subsequently indicating that the remains of the children may have been hidden for a period of between three and four years.
According to Vaaelua, the deaths of the children were not the fault of the family who had purchased the belongings from the storage unit.
They have expressed a desire to be left alone due to the revelation, which is understandable given how upset they are. We are taking measures to ensure that they have access to support,” he explained.
According to Vaaelua, the police in New Zealand have collaborated with Interpol and are carrying out investigations with the police forces of other nations.
On Thursday, August 11, authorities were called to Moncrieff Avenue at 1:30 p.m. in response to the arrival of the residents carrying the item that they had won in an online auction and subsequently purchased.
Two containers with the same outline were found with the skeletal remains. According to residents, as well as an employee of the crematorium, there was a “strenge odour” in the area on Thursday, which coincides with the time when the remains were identified. The local media reported this odour.
According to Mr. Vaaelua, the first thing that needs to be done is getting in touch with the next of kin, thus the police are currently working on a formal identification procedure.
The authorities are combing through the other materials in the storage locker in an effort to make any connections and to positively identify the remains they discovered.
Mr. Vaaelua did not want to answer any of the questions about the gender or status of the remains, as well as whether or not the police felt the youngsters were linked.