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Alone and lost in the forest. What happened to the long-missing Arian? His autism may have played a tragic role, suspects Dr. Mark Benecke.
Bremervörde – How long was Arian alone in the wilderness? The six-year-old from Bremervörde was missing for around two months until a farmer accidentally found his body. There is currently no answer to what happened to him. The police are keeping quiet about the cause and time of Arian’s death.
Missing Arian is dead: What role did his autism play? Expert Benecke with depressing theory
The autistic boy may have died of thirst in the forest, and forensic biologist Dr. Mark Benecke does not rule this out. “If the boy has learned that it is very bad to drink water from nature, then he could adhere to this rule much more strictly than non-autistic children,” says the forensic scientist, adding IPPEN.MEDIA “Perhaps he didn’t know how or which water was drinkable outdoors or which liquids were even drinkable.” Benecke is a strong advocate for autistic people and has published numerous analyses.
Did Arian’s autism play a tragic role? There has been much speculation about the influence of his autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially in relation to the search.
Tragic search for missing Arian: Autism? Police relied on extraordinary ideas
On the one hand, it was a hindrance: experts and the fire department feared that Arian might hide out of fear of the emergency services. This was one of the reasons why, after about a week, a so-called “quiet search” was initiated so as not to frighten him. Missing persons expert Peter Jamin emphasized at IPPEN.MEDIAthat very special means were needed to find the child and attract his attention. The police tried to do this with very creative ideas.
![Balloons, children's music and skybeamers: the police left no stone unturned in their search for Arian.](https://www.merkur.de/assets/images/34/951/34951582-luftballons-kindermusik-und-skybeamer-die-polizei-liess-bei-der-suche-nach-arian-nichts-unversucht-2BEYaYZ7DRBG.jpg)
Did Arian’s autism give him an advantage in the forest? Possibly less fear
On the other hand, it is beneficial: The autistic boy may have felt fears of the forest, the dark or being alone to a much lesser extent than other children. Occupational therapist Jutta Berthold explained in ndr: “This saves the resources he has. That means he doesn’t use up any energy that would be valuable for survival outside.” In addition, he probably won’t be disgusted by drinking from puddles, for example. his autism could have saved Arian’s lifeA radically different thesis than that of Benecke, both are conceivable in a more complex way.
In general, autism is a highly complex and highly individual series of neuropsychiatric disorders. “There is no such thing as just one form of autism,” explains Tomasz Jarczok, chief physician of the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Josefinum Clinic in Augsburg, who Berlin Morning PostIt is striking that children with a highly sensitive disposition are statistically more likely to get lost. Arian’s running away was also linked to his autism in various scenarios. (moe)
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