A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy died in hospital after being found in a serious condition, with his throat and right wrist slit, in Aydın on April 16, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

The boy, identified as C.C., was found in an unused barn belonging to his grandfather after going missing while playing in front of his family house. Doctors have raised the possibility that he might have been subjected to sexual abuse.

The latest murder comes less than 10 days after the shocking killing of a nine-year-old boy in the northeastern province of Kars. The body of the boy, Mert Aydın, was found in a trash collecting area five kilometers outside the city.

Police launched a large scale investigation to find the murderer.

Another young boy, Pamir Dikdik, was found dead in Istanbul on April 5 after going missing a day earlier.

A massive manhunt of almost 30 hours was organized for Dikdik, before his body was eventually found in the swimming pool of a neighboring villa.