Theo Hayez disappearance referred to NSW Coroner

Police have announced they have referred the disappearance of Belgian tourist Theo Hayez to the NSW Coroner.

Members of the Byron Bay community gather for a community event to remember Theo Hayez.

Police have announced they have referred the disappearance of Belgian tourist Theo Hayez to the NSW Coroner, three and a half months after he vanished in Byron Bay.

The decision was welcomed on the Looking for Theo Hayez Facebook page, which has been engaging with the community to help find the 18-year-old.

“It’s important to understand that this is a standard process in NSW and signifies progress,” an update on the page said on Monday.

“It presents us with the opportunity for much-needed expertise, insight and a fresh perspective and we sincerely welcome the participation of the Coroner.

“Now, more than ever, we need to stay united as we embark on this new chapter — a step closer to finding Théo.”

The coroner’s court website says the police officer in charge of a missing person investigation “must report the matter to the Coroner once they are satisfied that no further inquiries can be made as to whether a missing person is alive or deceased”.

“This should occur as soon as the investigator is of the belief that the missing person is now deceased,” the website says.

“This can be challenging for families of the missing person to accept, particularly when they may still be hopeful of a positive outcome.”

It comes a day after family members and searchers promised at a community event in Byron that they would keep searching for Mr Hayez.

At least 200 people attended the event, Light the Night, on Clarke’s Beach at dusk on Sunday.

“People who didn’t know each other before united with the same goal, finding you,” his cousin Lisa Hayez told the gathering.

“They never stopped, and trust me they’re not ready to stop, until we know what happened to you.”

Theo Hayez.

Mr Hayez’s father, Laurent Hayez, met with police in Byron Bay earlier in September for an update on the investigation.

“Detectives from Tweed/Byron Police District, who have been investigating the disappearance of missing Belgian man, Theo Hayez, have referred the matter to the NSW Coroner,” a police statement said on Monday.

“The 18-year-old was last seen about 11pm on Friday 31 May 2019 at a hotel on Jonson Street.

“The family wish to thank the public and the community volunteers for their ongoing support. They have requested privacy at this time.”

A new video of Mr Hayez from his travels in Australia was shared on the Looking for Theo Hayez Facebook page that same day.

It showed Mr Hayez in some of what he was wearing the night he went missing — tan trousers, black shoes, black watch and a silver chain necklace.