Dutch police said Monday, May 23, they received a dozen "
tips
" after the broadcast of a "
deepfake
" - a fake video - in which a 13-year-old victim called to testify to clarify his own murder.
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This is a “
world first in terms of investigation
”, according to the police.
"
The fact that 'tips' have been received is very positive
," said Lillian van Duijvenbode, spokesperson for the city police of Rotterdam (Netherlands), the day after the video was released thanks to the “
deepfake
” technique.
"
But we have not yet checked whether these 'pipes' are usable
," Lillian van Duijvenbode told AFP.
The “
deepfake
” technique makes it possible to create ultra-realistic simulations of real people by replacing one face with another or one voice with another.
Young footballer Sedar Soares was murdered “
out of nowhere
” in 2003, aged 13, while throwing snowballs with his friends in the parking lot of a Rotterdam metro station, explained Port City Police.
In the film, released almost 20 years after his death, we see the young man crossing a football field, a ball under his arm, surrounded by relatives, former teachers and football comrades lined up in a hedge of honor, some patting him the shoulder.
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The young man stops at the end of the film, asking in front of the camera: “
Do you know more?
So speak now
”.
Sedar Soares was "
in the wrong place, at the wrong time
", according to the police, who, thanks to new information, hope to finally be able to solve this "
cold case
".
"
It now appears that there was a 'rip deal' next to the subway station where young Sedar was murdered
," she said in a statement, referring to an organized crime scam. .
The police believe that he was "a
victim of underworld violence by pure bad luck
", and are now looking for testimonies from individuals who knew about the scam in addition to eyewitnesses to the tragedy.
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