‘Forest Boy’: British teenager who said he lived in German woodland ‘made it all up’

  • German authorities refuse to discuss case any further
  • Insider says Ray may have ‘mental health issues’
  • No evidence found to support his claims

By
Allan Hall

Last updated at 3:09 PM on 19th February 2012


Forest boy: Artist's impression of 'Ray' who claimed he lived in the wild

Forest boy: Artist’s impression of ‘Ray’ who claimed he lived in the wild

German authorities said the fate of the mysterious English-speaking ‘Forest Boy’ will forever remain a secret from the world.

‘He wants no publicity and we have nothing more to say on this subject,’ said a spokesman for youth authorities in Berlin.

‘We will not enter into discussions about secrecy or otherwise. There will be no more information forthcoming on this case.’

Despite the German taxpayer stumping
up close to £5,000 a month for his upkeep, the spokeswoman said that his
wishes ‘come first.’

But sources say his claim to have been
brought up in a forest – and to have buried his father in a shallow
grave – have been proved false.

One insider said; ‘He is regarded now
as a fantasist with some mental health issues. There was no wood, no
grave, no mother who died in a car crash. He is just now just something
of an unfortunate.’

The German authorities will not even say where he is being kept.

The boy, known only as Ray, hit the headlines in September
last year. Speaking in broken English, he walked into a town hall in the
east of Berlin and claimed to remember few details about his life.

But he spun a tale – in accented English – that gripped the imagination of the world.

He said he had been living in a tent
in a forest for five years with his father, called Ryan, and that his
mother Doreen had died in a car crash five years previously.

He said that his father died suddenly
in the woods and he began walking towards Berlin. He said he had buried
his father among the trees. ‘I’m all alone, please help me,’ he said.

Lost in translation: The boy turned up in Berlin alone and saying he had been living rough in the woods

Lost in translation: The boy turned up in Berlin alone and saying he had been living rough in the woods

But his tall tale soon began to develop more holes than a Swiss cheese.

A check of police computers in all 16
states of Germany found that no one by the name of Doreen had died in a
car crash in the past decade.

No sign of a grave has been found in
cursory searches of forests in the Harz Mountains, along the
Bavarian-Czech border or in Thuringia.

Ray is unable to pinpoint the forest where he said he lived, he is also unable to say what nationality he is.

Officials originally thought he could be British because he speaks English but only basic German, although they now doubt this.

The tent he carried did not look as if it had sustained five years of treatment in a forest and Ray was well dressed and clean.

Wilderness: The teenager's history is shrouded in mystery and he refuses to have his picture taken

Wilderness: The teenager’s history is shrouded in mystery and he refuses to have his picture taken

As Interpol was alerted to check with
police forces for missing people in other European countries, Ray
triggered more suspicion when he said he did not want to pose for
photographs or make an appeal to try to find any of his family.

‘They’re all dead,’ he said. ‘I just want to get on and make a new life for myself.’

A police spokesman said:
‘Unfortunately it seems that the boy told his guardian that he wasn’t
interested in discovering who he was.’

Several people from around the world
have claimed to be his relatives, including a Swiss couple who said he
was their missing grandson. But no real relative has been found.

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

Along with the picture, please remember that NONE of the ‘facts’ stated in this article are likely to be true. The only ‘statement’ released is that there will be no information released. Therefore, what languages he speaks, whether he agreed to be photographed, yada yada yada…. meaningless. If this child has escaped organised crime it is possible for the safety of everyone that no details are released about him. Again, speculation. No-one knows. Least of all the DM ~ that well known source of reliable information NOT.

Why was my remark at 12.30 ” I just wondered whether there was a possibility he could be Ben Needham” removed by DM? That was intended to be a helpful remark not offensive to anyone. There was a similar remark at 10.56 from Peter, Leicester which is still displayed ” I realise he most likely won’t be, but has anyone checked to see if he’s Ben Needham?” What exactly is the difference between the two remarks? One is offensive and one isn’t. I don’t understand!

“Well he may have made up a great big story but clearly for one so young to do so and for him to be in this predicament, SOMETHING pretty sinister has happened to him. He’s either a runaway from something fairly awful or an escapee from a strange situation. The fact that no-one comes forward to ‘claim’ him is even more suspicious. What has he fled from….” – Crystal, Islington, 19/2/2012 11:00…….I wondered that too, Crystal. He may have invented this far-fetched story to block out the real truth of what happened to him, which may have been so traumatic that he reacted by putting up this brick wall. He may be a victim of child abuse or child trafficking. He is said to speak broken English and basic German. A trained linguist might shed light on his provenance, but if he insists on remaining incognito what can they do? I think he needs help. There is a book in Danish called ‘The Self-Effacing Child’. It explains how this can happen.

The headline is totally inaccurate. He obviously isn’t a “British teenager” so why write that?

Jail him for wasting tie .

Why does the headline say he is British? He apparently speaks broken English which is a sign that he is very unlikely to be British and despite widespread publicity in the UK not a single British person anywhere in the country – a fellow school pupil or neighbour or a relative missing a young eprson in their family – has emerged to identify him or suggest he is a British citizen.

How can anybody recognise him unless they release a real photograph of him? He came from somewhere, so who is he, and if he doesn’t want to be claimed, why? Is he a runaway who doesn’t want to be returned? If so, what was so bad he ran away? The boy said he is not interested in ‘discovering’ who he is, so does that mean he doesn’t know? Non of this makes sense, but I still hope we will get to learn the truth of who he really is.

He looks Amish.
– Pete , Sheffield, 19/2/2012 7:37

We don’t know what he looks like – the picture your commenting on is a strange-looking composite picture their police created. He refused to be photographed. They haven’t released his picture.

well i would never have guessed that outcome ?

THIS DM story has got more holes in it than a civil servants tights.

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