The 12-year-old girl from Freudenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, who was found dead near a cycle path on Sunday, has been the victim of a crime. This was announced by the Koblenz police and public prosecutor on Monday. The child’s body was discovered on Sunday afternoon near a former train station in Rhineland-Palatinate, right on the state border.
“The investigations carried out so far confirm the suspicion that the girl was the victim of a homicide,” said a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office.
There is currently no evidence of a sexual offense. An autopsy was scheduled to take place on Monday to determine the cause of death. “The investigation is proceeding swiftly. We are in contact with the investigative authorities in Siegen,” said the spokesman.
“At the moment we cannot publish any further information on the other circumstances, both for investigative reasons and to protect the personal rights of the relatives,” the police in Koblenz explained.
The child was last seen on Saturday around 5:30 p.m. in Freudenberg, when it was walking home after visiting a friend. When the twelve-year-old did not arrive at home, the search began that evening with strong police and fire brigade forces.
In Freudenberg, the flags were lowered to half-mast on Monday as a sign of mourning. “We are deeply shaken in Freudenberg and our thoughts are with the relatives. I have ordered mourning flags for today,” said Mayor Nicole Reschke.
Lessons took place in the girl’s school, but there were offers of talks from psychologists to the classmates, as a spokesman for the Arnsberg district government said. This is especially true for the 12-year-old class. On Sunday evening there was a funeral service in the city.
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