Nine-year-old Ukrainian girl Valeria, who had been missing since June 3, was found dead.
This was confirmed by the German police, noting that the child’s body was found in the forest near the town of Debeln.
The body of a 9-year-old missing Ukrainian woman was found in Germany
The body was found near the city of Hermsdorf — about 3 km from the house where Valeria lived. It is reported that at first almost no searches were carried out there.
Now they are watching
But law enforcement decided to expand the search radius after witnesses reported hearing cries for help in the dense forest.
— This is a sad fact. Deceased — missing nine-year-old Valeria. We express our deepest condolences to her family. Valeria became a victim of a crime. We are investigating a murder — Police Commissioner Carsten Kempf said Wednesday.
Prosecutor's office spokeswoman Ingrid Burghart said that after an investigation and autopsy, there is no indication that the girl was the victim of a sex crime. The police chief said there are no suspects in the case yet.
The disappearance of 9-year-old Valeria
The disappearance of 9-year-old Ukrainian Valeria in Germany became known on June 3. The girl and her mother came to Germany after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
On the day of the disappearance, the child did not come to school. Neither the mother nor the police were informed that the girl did not show up at school. Valeria's disappearance became known after she failed to return from school. Her mother first went looking for her, and then she contacted the police around 6:25 p.m.
About 100 emergency services employees, super-identifiers and volunteers were involved in the search for the Ukrainian woman. Subsequently, the investigation expanded beyond Germany — the police began to cooperate with Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic.
