An elderly Swiss couple who saw a picture of the "forest boy" who wandered out of the woods and into Berlin's City Hall claim to be his grandparents, and have submitted to a DNA test to prove it.

Though German authorities reportedly believed the teenager's story at first, over the course of two weeks they have grown more skeptical. They noted that his tent and clothing did not show symptoms of five years of use. The boy claimed his mother died in a car crash, but records could not be found to confirm it. He said he buried his father in a forest grave, but the grave could not be found. Investigators initially believed that the boy was British, because he spoke English fluently but only basic German; now they believe even that is a lie.

Finally, when the authorities told the boy they would find his family, he said he'd rather not be found:

As Interpol was alerted to check with police forces for missing people in other European countries, Ray triggered more suspicion when he said he did not want to pose for photographs or make an appeal to try to find any of his family.
'They're all dead,' he said. 'I just want to get on and make a new life for myself.'
A police spokesman said: 'Unfortunately it seems that the boy told his guardian that he wasn't interested in discovering who he was.'

So this may not be a once-in-a-century feral child mystery, but a more banal one: Why any teenager would feel he has no choice but to flee his home and abandon his identity, then lie about it. Is he mentally ill? Does he hate his grandparents? Where are his real parents?

If the boy is proved to be Swiss, he will be returned to Switzerland. He is currently under the care of a German guardian. [Daily Mail]