‘Forest boy’ lies unravel after he is recognised
German police have finally solved the mystery of the English-speaking “forest boy” who wandered into Berlin saying his name was Ray and had been living in the woods for five years.
A former girlfriend identified him as a 20-year-old from the Netherlands who was reported missing last September. When confronted, the boy, named by a Dutch broadcaster as Robin van Helsum, admitted the truth.
Van Helsum showed up on September 5 at Berlin city hall claiming his mother had died in a car crash when he was 12 and he and his father had been living rough. He claimed not to know his last name or where he was from and said his father had died in August.