The mother of a 14-year-old boy missing from Navan, Co Meath, has made an emotional appeal for help finding him.
Benjamin Spot was last seen on his bicycle in Market Square, heading towards Kentstown Road or the Ramparts area of Navan, at about 5.55pm on Wednesday, November 19th.
His bicycle was found at the Ramparts the following day, prompting intensive searches of the nearby Boyne river.
The missing teen is described as being about 1.55 metres (5ft 1in) in height, with blond hair and blue eyes.
On Thursday his mother Renata Molnarova, speaking to The Irish Times from her home in Slovakia, said she did not believe Benjamin had caused himself any harm or had “gone into the river.”
“My son is a bright boy, he is really smart and he has good friends,” Ms Molnarova said.
Ms Molnarova, who is separated from Benjamin’s father who lives in Navan, said she felt sure “somebody is not talking” about the teenager’s whereabouts.
She said she is convinced he is alive and possibly staying with somebody outside of the Navan area. She appealed for any of his friends who might have any information on where Benjamin is to come forward.
She said if he had come to harm locally, “he would have been found in the last eight days”. She said he would have liked to go to Dublin and she thinks he may have taken a bus to Blanchardstown.
“Someone must have some camera [footage] of where he went,” she said.
Ms Molnarova asked for shopkeepers and anybody with camera footage of the area on November 19th to examine it for clues as to where Benjamin might be going.
“Nobody is going to be in any trouble. We all love Benjamin and we just want him back,” she said.
Ms Molnarova is to travel to Ireland on Saturday to take part in the search for her son.
She appealed for anyone in contact with him, who sees the publicity of his disappearance, to convince him to make contact with his family.
The Garda on Thursday renewed its appeal for anyone with information on Benjamin’s whereabouts to contact Navan Garda station on 046 9036100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.