Police Scotland have made an arrest and charged a 33 year old woman in connection with the death of three year old Mikaeel Kular from Edinburgh.
His mother Rosdeep, reported him missing on Thursday morning.
He was thought to have left his home alone at some time after 21.00 on Wednesday 15th January.
Hundreds of members of the local community in the Muirhouse area, across the generations, came out to help Police Scotland in meticulous searches of the area in the vicinity of the Kular home.
Sadly, a body found at around midnight last night, 17th-18th January, 20 miles away, in woodland behind a house in Kirkcaldy in Fife owned by Mikaeel’s aunt, his mother’s sister, was identified today as being Mikaeel’s.
Mikaeel and his family are said to have lived there until between 18 months and two years ago. They then moved to Edinburgh but are said to have made regular visits back to the Kirkcaldy house.
The news of the arrest and charge was given at a press update in Edinburgh by Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham of Police Scotland, just after 23.00 tonight.
It ought to be recorded that Police Scotland’s work on this case has appeared exemplary – focused, determined and resourceful.
Information they progressively gave during the search period produced a pattern where, from a very early stage, they seemed to be saving time and making progress by running virtually parallel operations: one on a best case and one on a worst case scenario.
They seemed at all times open minded but covering all the options, as the best policing should do. While this outcome is the one no one wanted to hear, Police Scotland are to be congratulated for bringing the disappearance of this tragic child to a swift conclusion.
The sheer humanity and sense of communal responsibility of the local residents and volunteers from further away, all of whom felt impelled to do all they could to find a missing child, alone, cold and perhaps trapped or injured after a fall, has been utterly uplifting.
In a case like this, which has had a dark ending, the warm hearts, commitment and selflessness of acquaintances and strangers brought back to the fore the good and the strength of people in general, in an event where such a reminder could hardly be more redemptive.
Note: Since there is now an arrest and charge on this matter, Assistant Chief Constable Graham could only report those facts at the media update tonight. He could not take or answer questions. We would ask readers who may comment not to speculate on the case or identify people involved in it.
