Inquiries into the Valeriia matter concentrate on the "people closest to the family."
Investigators had been hoping for nine days that they might find the missing child Valeriia alive. However, a discovery of a body on Tuesday made those hopes vain. It has since been confirmed that Valeriia was killed. But by who and for what reason?
Where was the body of the little girl discovered?
The lifeless body was located on Tuesday afternoon in a woodland area lying between the districts of Rossweiner in Mahlitzsch and Doebelner in Hermsdorf, which are in the Mittelsachsen region. The location is roughly four kilometers from Valeriia's home. The head of criminal police inspection in Chemnitz, Mandy Kürschner, stated during a press conference that the spot was "off the beaten track, deep within the undergrowth." The search for Valeriia had been the largest and most intense, taking place in this particular area. Prior to this, a witness had reported that they'd heard cries for help in the dense woods. Due to the family mentioning they frequently spent their leisure time there, the search radius was expanded to the "Knollensteine" area. It was within this area that her body was eventually found.
What can be said about the cause of death at this point?
According to State Prosecutor Ingrid Burghart, the nine-year-old was murdered violently. There are no indications of a sexual crime. "The location most likely served as the scene of the crime," stated Burghart. For investigative tactical reasons, she didn't provide any information regarding the exact time of death or the specific situation of the finding.
When was Valeriia last seen?
Valeriia was reported missing on June 3rd after she didn't return home from school. When questioned at the school, it emerged that she hadn't actually attended class that day. It is still being determined why the school didn't alert authorities about her absence promptly.
When was she last seen alive?
Police confirm that Valeriia left her home on Gabelsberger Street for school at Grundschule Am Holländer on Bayerischer Street around 6:50 a.m. on Monday morning. However, she didn't board the bus of line C, which departs from the bus station at 7:06 a.m. as she typically did. This is evident from video recordings from the bus. One of her classmates who was late to school on Monday claims to have seen her around 9:20 a.m. in front of the school. At the moment, investigators are considering the possibility that Valeriia left her house. They'll be attempting to track her further journey by reviewing video recordings from the Döbelner region.
Are there any potential leads for suspects?
So far, there are no definite suspects or arrests, as per the prosecutor's update. "The murder commission is continuing its investigation." Research is underway for both manslaughter and murder. According to Burghart, all possible avenues are being pursued, but the emphasis is on "the immediate surroundings of the family."
Mandy Kürschner highlighted that all possible search measures had been taken in the nine days since Valeria's disappearance. The search thus centered around Döbeln. In the town of around 24,000 residents, the police searched with a large force of officers from Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, in the vicinity of the school, and at the Mulde river. Readiness police officers and policewomen primarily carried out intensive checks along the riverbanks. The water rescue police and the diving group of the Saxon police conducted searches by boat along the river. The residents were asked to keep an eye out for Valeriia in their own gardens, cellars, garages, or sheds. Approximately 400 house searches took place.
Additionally, local search groups formed and they scoured meadows, fields, and forests in the southern part of the town. The numerous female and male officers of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt were supported by special dogs and a helicopter.
Besides the on-site search, the police also connected with colleagues in Ukraine and Poland, as well as in the Czech Republic. The Ukrainian girl, as per the police, had been living with her mother in Germany since 2022. She could only speak broken German, reported the police. The father was said to be still in Ukraine, but they were maintaining contact with him. The broadcasting of the missing persons report on TV shows "Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst" on ZDF and "Kripo live" on MDR didn't yield any concrete clues concerning the girl, according to the police.
The Chemnitz police president, Carsten Kaempf, expressed gratitude to all the deployment forces and the significant support from the Döbeln community.
Read also:
- The international police force has been contacted to assist in the investigation of Valeriia's case, given the involvement of a Ukrainian family and the girl's recent residency in Germany.
- Despite extensive searching in Saxony, particularly around Döbeln, where Valeriia's body was found, no suspicious individuals or potential leads related to her cause of death have been identified as missing persons among the local residents.
- The police in Saxony are working closely with their counterparts in Ukraine and Poland, and in the Czech Republic, to gather any information that may help clarify the circumstances surrounding Valeriia's murder, as she had lived in Germany since 2022 with a mother who spoke limited German.
