Berlin Police
Police have released the first photograph of the mysterious 'Forest Boy' in the hope that someone recognises him.
The boy - known only as Ray - presented himself to authorities nine months ago claiming he had been living wild in the woods for five years.
He said he and his dad were forced to exist by hunting and foraging after his mum died in a car crash when he was 12 years old.
He said his father then died five days before he walked to civilisation. Ray claimed his dad had fallen and that he had buried him "in a hole in the forest underneath some stones". He was not able to show police where he had buried his father or explain the reason for his death.
His story was met with suspicion, but despite investigations, Berlin Police have been unable to identify the boy.
"We really have no idea of his true identity and hope that releasing this photo will help solve the mystery of the boy known only as Ray," Micheal Gassen of the Berlin Police force told the Daily Telegraph.
"Who knows the person shown in this picture? Who can give any information about his identity? Who can give any information about the person's possible relatives?"
The boy, who speaks English with a slight accent and only a few words of German, has unwaveringly stuck to his original story.
He said he knew only that his father was called Ryan, and his mother Doreen but had no idea where his family originally came from.
Police sought help from Interpol to help identify the teenager and received dozens of letters from across the world from people believing he may have been a lost relative, but all were discounted.
At first police released a photofit of the boy in the hope that someone would recognise him but they were unable to do more without his consent.
"He has only now – after intense discussions – finally given us permission to release a photograph of him and we are appealing for information about who he is," the police spokesman said.
The boy said he thought his birth date was 20 June 1994, which would mean he turns 18 years old next week.
He is being cared for by social services at a youth housing project and is attending a school in Berlin. Police have consistently voiced scepticism of his account.
"There is something strange about this whole story," Mr Neuendorf said.
Whenever we want to go into details with him, he breaks it off, saying both of his parents are dead, and that no one else knows him. He seems to have an astounding lack of interest in finding out who he is.
i
Intriguing.
He's called Ron, he's 20, he's Dutch and he admits it was all an elaborate hoax.