The family of an 18-year-old Dutch boy who apparently committed suicide in Belgium have asked Teylingen town council to agree to have his body exhumed for further investigation, news agency ANP says on Thursday.

The death was described as suicide by the Belgian authorities but his family argue there are suspicious circumstances.

Lesley Timmer vanished in June 2010 after buying a return train ticket to Eindhoven. He was found three days later under a bridge in the Belgian city of Liege. He had serious injuries and his hands were tied behind his back using his shoelaces. His feet were also tied.

Fall

His body was not identified for a month after it was found because of mistakes made by the Belgian authorities.

The new investigation will focus on Lesley Timmer’s broken bones, to assess if they are in line with those expected in a fall from a bridge, the family’s lawyer told news agency ANP. Forensic pathologist Frank van de Goot said earlier he had doubts about the cause of the youth’s injuries.

The family also argue that police had failed to investigate their claims that the boy had been anxious and felt threatened for several months before he disappeared.