Dutch police create deepfake video of murdered boy, 13, in hope of new leads

Dutch police have received dozens of leads after using deepfake technology to virtually bring to life a teenager almost two decades after his murder.

Sedar Soares was shot dead in 2003 while throwing snowballs with friends in the parking lot of a Rotterdam metro station.

In what Dutch police believe could be a world first, an eerily lifelike image of Sedar appears in the video as he greets the camera and picks up a football.

Accompanied by stirring music, he walks through a guard of honour on the field, comprising his relatives, former teachers and friends.

Police at first believed Soares had been shot because he threw snowballs at a vehicle, the NOS newscaster said.