The kin of the absent Belgian voyager, Theo Hayez, have spurned the police hypothesis regarding his vanishing, and beseech for novel insights.
Key details:
The Hayez family articulated that the presented scenario implied Theo ambled towards the Cape Byron Lighthouse and descended into the sea.
They dismiss this narrative, asserting that Theo would not have ventured off in solitude.
The family seeks fresh details concerning the events after Theo exited the Cheeky Monkeys bar on May 31.
Half a year has transpired since the 19-year-old was last observed leaving a Byron Bay bar on May 31, and the family avows that the police investigation has left numerous unresolved queries.
Theo's godfather, Jean-Philippe Pector, articulating on the family's behalf, relayed the police's account that Theo strayed towards the Byron coastline and plunged into the water.
"The probable scenario disclosed by the police is that Theo, post-departure from the bar, endeavored to return to the Wake Up! hostel but lost his way, ultimately arriving at Cosy Corner [a locale at the northern extremity of Tallow Beach]," stated Mr. Pector.
"There, he ascended towards the lighthouse and plummeted from the cliffs into the ocean.
"We find this scenario implausible, particularly the notion that Theo would have traversed this path unaccompanied, encountering no one."
Theo Hayez search
Police scour the Byron headline in June subsequent to Theo Hayez's disappearance. (AAP: Dave Hunt) Police pass the case to the coroner
While the family acknowledged this as the presented theory, it wasn't the exclusive line of investigation pursued by the police during the search.
The police investigation formally concluded in September, with the case forwarded to the coroner.
Mr. Pector conveyed that the family had yet to receive communication from the coroner, feeling uninformed about the process and any advancements.
"It doesn't alleviate matters for any of us," he remarked.
"In truth, the longer we grapple with the myriad questions that the police inquiry has left unanswered, the more burdensome it becomes mentally.
"Despite the parents, kin, and close associates moving beyond the harrowing initial weeks, closure eludes us."
He asserted that the family staunchly maintains Theo was not solitary after leaving the bar, urging once more for anyone possessing information to step forward and "complete the missing sections of the puzzle."
The NSW Coroner's Court refuted the family's claim of no communication, stating that the registrar had corresponded with Theo Hayez's parents, elucidating the coronial process related to their son.
Financial strain for family in Belgium
The family expressed profound gratitude for the support from the Byron Bay community and beyond, as per Mr. Pector.
"People wield influence, as Theo's father proclaimed in his inaugural press conference, and this holds true," he affirmed.
"They bestowed upon us physical, financial, material, emotional, and intellectual backing, alongside copious love.
"These are invaluable elements that the police investigation cannot furnish."
He voiced the family's frustration that nothing "has been officially orchestrated to aid families in our predicament."
"We are drafting a missive to the coroner to articulate our perspectives, apprehensions, and concerns regarding the inquiry."
He added that the logistical challenges of the Hayez family being situated in Belgium—Mr. Pector resides in the Otway Ranges in Victoria—would entail financial strain for any subsequent follow-up in Australia.
"To undertake protracted measures in the future, we might eventually need to solicit additional financial backing," he conveyed.
NSW Police, in a statement, asserted their inability to comment on the case.
"As this is now under coronial jurisdiction, it would be inappropriate for the NSW Police to comment further," the statement concluded.
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