Offering assistance and emotional support [] - So far, the search for missing Valeriia has not been successful.
For the past few days, authorities and locals in Döbeln have worked tirelessly to locate the missing nine-year-old Valeriia. Helicopters, search dogs, divers, and hundreds of police officers have scoured the city. "Super-Recognizers" pored over photos and videos. Residents have combed their backyards, sheds, and cellars, while private search parties joined the hunt. Still, there's no sign of Valeriia or her pink jacket. Authorities haven't ruled out any possibilities – abduction or an accident are both being considered.
"The anxiety among the people is immense," notes the town's mayor, Sven Liebhauser (CDU). "We all hope that she'll be found safe and sound as quickly as possible," he adds. This situation is uncommon for Döbeln's residents. "It's a difficult time for me as well as a father," remarks the mayor, praising the community's support and willingness to lend a hand.
In the absence of concrete information about Valeriia's disappearance, concerns are evident online. Parents worry about sending their kids to school alone, and some recount incidents of children being approached by cars. "I'm scared," says an elderly woman in the city's downtown. Conversations about the case abound, with some suspecting Valeriia could've been taken abroad – maybe back to her native Ukraine.
The authorities are exploring this possibility, reporting connections to Ukrainian, Polish, and Czech counterparts. Nonetheless, the main focus remains on Döbeln – a town of 24,000 people in the Mittelsachsen region. Today, about 180 officers are searching the town, as Rydzik, the police spokesman, indicates. "We're still digging everywhere we can," he says, estimating a third of the city has been thoroughly inspected.
To manage the search effort, the city has been divided into small sections on a police map. Each section is being painstakingly combed over. Several vacant lots are being prioritized, as they might be where Valeriia could've hidden.
The quest for Valeriia bears a striking resemblance to the fate of Arian, a six-year-old from the Lower Saxony town of Bremervörde-Elm, missing since April. Valeriia hails from Ukraine and moved to Germany in 2022 with her mother; her father remains in Ukraine. She was last seen on the way to school on Monday morning. Initially, she didn't arrive at school, prompting the launch of a search. And on the TV show "Aktenzeichen XY ungelöst," a missing person report was aired, but no solid leads emerged.
Over 1700 children under the age of 13 go missing in Germany every year. "Over 99.8% are eventually found," shares the Federal Criminal Police Office, who note that the remaining cases involve abducted kids and unaccompanied refugee children who've fled from their housing centers. There are also long-term runaways.
Today, 1756 children are listed as missing in the police databases nationwide, while 86 are still missing in Saxony, reports the State Criminal Police Office. "Usually, 80% of missing person cases are resolved within two weeks," states a representative.
The search for Valeriia will go on this weekend, Rydzik confirms, though the task is daunting and unending. "The resolve of the team is unwavering. We have to resolve this." After all, many officers are parents – their dedication to the case can't hide how close it hits home.
The latest on search for missing 9-year-old Valeriia in Döbeln is as follows: Since the beginning of the week, authorities and residents in the German town of Döbeln have been tirelessly hunting for a young girl named Valeriia, who went missing on her way to school. Helicopters, drones, divers, special dogs, and hundreds of police officers are joined by private search parties. The city is being divided into small sections, with each piece being painstakingly combed over. Several vacant lots are also being targeted, and the force is even connecting with international authorities in Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic. No concrete leads have come forth, though, prompting fears among parents. Many are now hesitant to let their children make the journey to school on their own. Arian, a six-year-old from Lower Saxony, has been missing since April, with similarities between the two cases fueling speculation that Valeriia might've been abducted or gone abroad to Ukraine. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, around 1756 kids under the age of 13 were missing as of June 1st across Germany, while 86 kids were unaccounted for in Saxony. Most children are found within two weeks, but that's not the case for Valeriia yet. The search will continue this weekend, with authorities working day and night to locate the girl.
Read also:
- The mayor of Saxony's Döbeln, Sven Liebhauser (CDU), expresses his sympathy toward Valeriia's family and shares his own concerns as a father.
- Authorities in Döbeln are also investigating potential connections to Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic, given Valeriia's background.
- German authorities are managing the search for Valeriia by dividing the city into sections and directing resources to specific locations, such as vacant lots.
- The situation in Döbeln is reminiscent of another missing child case in Lower Saxony, Arian, who went missing in April.
- Over 1700 children under 13 go missing in Germany each year, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office, with many being found within two weeks.
- The police in Saxony have reported 86 children missing as of June 1st, echoing the national concern and urgency in locating these missing children.
