The town of Döbeln experiences power outages throughout inclement weather. - Valeriia was a victim of a heart-wrenching crime.
Over the weekend, Valeria's father had appealed to potential kidnappers via a video from Ukraine, pleading for their courage to return his beloved child to them. However, the hope expressed in Bild am Sonntag that he would be able to hold his daughter again soon has shattered.
Valeria is no longer alive. Her body was discovered on Tuesday at 14:30 in a remote forest near Döbeln, hidden amongst the dense foliage. Following the autopsy of the body, investigators suspect a crime, investigating for manslaughter and murder. The search for the perpetrator or perpetrators is currently focusing on the social circle of the girl, as explained by Oberstaatsanwältin Ingrid Burghart on Wednesday.
A week-long search with drones and helicopters
On Monday of the previous week, Valeria had left for school in the morning. But she didn't show up in class. Due to the mother not contacting the school, her disappearance wasn't noticed until the afternoon when she didn't come home. Then an extensive search was launched: with drones and helicopters, special dogs and divers; Hundreds of police officers went through the city, analyzing images and videos from cameras by so-called Super-Recognisers. Known sexual offenders in the area were checked and searched for clues about the girl in television programs. Even with colleagues abroad, the police were in contact - the girl and her mother had fled to Ukraine before the war, the father was fighting at the front. For a long time, there was no promising lead, even an accident was considered possible.
The emotional toll had reached the police as well. "We all had one common goal for nine days - to bring the search for Valeria to a successful conclusion," said Police President Carsten Kaempf. The deep grief and disorientation is difficult to put into words. "The loss of a child tears your heart apart." Everything will be done to solve this crime and find the perpetrator or perpetrators, he insisted. "That is our unwavering focus."
The prosecutor's office presumes the location of the body to be the crime scene. The information suggests that it is a forest between Hermsdorf and Mahlitzsch - about four kilometers on foot from her home. There are no indications of a sexual assault having occurred, it was noted. The precise cause of death was not disclosed due to the ongoing investigations.
According to the police, an early indication from a witness had come forth, who had heard cries for help at the city limits. However, this couldn't be narrowed down initially. The location of the witness and the burial site of the child were about two kilometers apart. The search had initially focused on the immediate vicinity of her home, her school route, and her school. On Tuesday, over 400 police officers were sent to search fields and forests in the southern part of the city and found her body.
"We are all deeply affected and shocked by the death of little Valeria," said Mayor Sven Liebhauser (CDU). "Döbeln is devastated." Many citizens and residents are unable to celebrate now. Therefore, the city with a population of about 24,000, located in the Mittelsachsen district, has decided to cancel its planned city festival this weekend. Instead, Liebhauser urged people to come together and with candles in hand on the market square of the girl on Friday evening. There will also be a memorial service on Sunday. A donation account has also been established to support the family.
School psychologists in action
At Valeria's school, teachers and students are grappling with the news that a child from their ranks has been brutally taken from life. Alongside this, several school psychologists have been deployed for a crisis intervention at the school, as confirmed by the spokesman for the Ministry of Education and Culture, Clemens Arndt. The authority is also investigating any misconduct by the school as the absence of the girl in class was not reported to her mother.
In Germany, thousands of children under the age of 13 go missing each year. Most of them are found. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, the clearance rate in the past six years was 99.8%. Most recently, the search for the six-year-old Arian from Bremervörde-Elm in Lower Saxony caused a stir. He has been missing since April 22nd.
