New Search Operation Near Where Tyméo’s Body Was Found
Belgian authorities launched a new search operation on Tuesday morning in Onhaye, in the area where the body of a child believed to be missing 5-year-old Tyméo Brigou was discovered the previous day. The search, involving approximately 60 police officers, is focused on finding Bryan Brigou, the father of the presumed victim, who remains missing.
The Search Operation
According to VRT NWS, the operation includes local and federal police units, mounted police, sniffer dogs, and helicopter air support. Six agents from the Department of Nature and Forest joined the search to guide investigators through the difficult terrain. A security perimeter has been established at the parking lot of the local football field, where Bryan Brigou’s car was found on June 28.
The search comes one day after federal judicial police discovered the body of a child in a difficult-to-access embankment covered with dense bushes and brambles in a wooded area along the N97 road, approximately 2 kilometers from the football field parking lot.
Strong Indications the Body Is Tyméo
The Namur public prosecutor’s office stated that “diverse elements found on site” strongly suggest the body is that of Tyméo, who disappeared on June 27 together with his father Bryan Brigou (29). RTBF reported that formal identification has not yet been completed, but investigators noted that the location of the discovery and other elements point strongly toward the young boy.
Gerry Van Loock of the Cell Missing Persons told reporters: “We must take into account that it is more than likely Tyméo.” He added that the identification process is ongoing and that clarity is expected following the autopsy scheduled for Tuesday.
David Rimaux, Commissioner at the Federal Police Missing Persons Cell, noted: “There is no other missing child in the region. Elements of the investigation also lead us to think it could be Tyméo, particularly the clothes worn by the child and description elements that could correspond.”
The Disappearance
Bryan Brigou and his 5-year-old son Tyméo were last seen on the afternoon of June 27 in Onhaye, a small municipality in the province of Namur, Wallonia. The father’s car—a dark Golf 6—was found empty the next day on the parking lot of the local football club. Despite extensive searches and three witness appeals, no trace of either was found for nearly two months.
The investigation faced significant challenges from the start. As DH reported in July, the prosecutor noted that the first two witness appeals yielded “abnormally few returns” for a case involving the disappearance of a 5-year-old child. Investigators worked around the clock, examining multiple hypotheses including voluntary departure, both father and son being victims of criminal acts, or a direction pointing toward Bryan.
Bryan Brigou, 29, had been convicted in 2024 to a 30-month prison sentence under electronic surveillance following an assault. According to relatives who spoke to various media, he had connections to the drug milieu and potential debts in that context, though the prosecutor’s office never confirmed these elements.
Discovery of the Body
The body was found on Monday morning following a new testimony that allowed investigators to narrow their search. David Demaude, Director of Federal Judicial Police of Namur, explained: “It was a testimony solicited by an investigator that allowed us on Monday to obtain a more precise element leading to the location where the body was. We had already flown over the area by helicopter, but we had not conducted searches there because it is very difficult to walk there and there is no passage.”
Items belonging to Bryan Brigou were found near the body, but there is no trace of Bryan himself. The search for him continues, with the prosecutor stating they hope to find him alive.
Family Reactions
Tyméo’s maternal grandmother told VRT NWS that the clothing found matched what Tyméo was wearing on the day of his disappearance. She said: “Bizarrely enough, I had a feeling in recent days that I should contact the undertaker.” In an emotional moment, she added: “I will be blunt: if he is dead, I am satisfied.”
Simon, Bryan’s brother, expressed his growing pessimism in an earlier interview with La Libre Belgique: “Frankly, when you see the way things are going and knowing my brother, I don’t have much hope anymore. I still keep a little, but…”
Emilie, Bryan’s sister and Tyméo’s aunt, posted a tribute on social media on Tuesday morning: “Rest in peace little cat.”
What’s Next
The autopsy scheduled for Tuesday is expected to formally confirm the identity of the body and determine the cause of death. All hypotheses remain open, including “a criminal act, an unfortunate gesture, or even an accident,” according to the prosecutor’s office. The search for Bryan Brigou continues as investigators work to piece together what happened to the young father and son.