Tragically, the search for Arian, the 6-year-old autistic boy who went missing from his home in Elm on the evening of 22 April, has ended in sorrow.

On Monday, a farmer in Lower Saxony discovered a child's body in a field 8 kilometres from Arian's home.

On Thursday, police confirmed that the remains were indeed those of little Arian.

A DNA comparison conducted by medical examiners provided the final confirmation, as announced by both the police and the prosecutor's office.

Investigators had already suspected that the body was likely that of the missing boy.

Authorities stated there were no signs of foul play, with forensic analyses revealing "no grounds for punishable actions."

Arian had left his parents' house on April 22, prompting repeated and extensive search operations over the following weeks, all of which were unsuccessful until the discovery on Monday.