Nine-year-old killed
Döbeln mourns Valeriia together – now the police are reportedly targeting two suspects
The police used this photo to appeal to the public in their search for nine-year-old Valeriia from Döbeln (pixelated later)
© Police Saxony
The violent death of nine-year-old Valeriia has left people in Döbeln, Saxony, stunned. The police are determined to catch the murderer. Now there are reports of the first hot leads.
The day after, a leaden heaviness hangs over Döbeln, the town of 25,000 inhabitants in the hilly country between Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig. With obvious shock, Chemnitz police chief Carsten Kaempf appeared before the press on Wednesday to announce the incomprehensible: “With regard to the person found lifeless yesterday, we have achieved the sad certainty last night that it is nine-year-old Valeriia from Döbeln.”
It was clear: all hope, all efforts were in vain. Valeriia is dead. Violently ripped from life at the age of nine. “Mourning the loss of a child literally breaks your heart,” said the experienced officer with a shaky voice (read here the star-Liveblog from the press conference).
Hundreds of police officers and volunteers had been searching for the girl for more than a week. She had left for school on Monday a week ago (June 3rd) but never arrived. Last Tuesday, the police discovered the child’s body in the undergrowth of a forest, less than five kilometers from her home.
Döbeln “shocked” after death of Valeriia
The news of the violent death shocked the people of Döbeln. “Our thoughts are with the family, who now need a lot of strength,” explains Mayor Sven Liebhauser. “Döbeln is shocked.”
What it means when an entire city mourns can be seen this Thursday on a sidewalk near Valeriia’s home. Countless flowers, candles, letters and stuffed animals cover the cobblestones. “Why did they do this to you? You still had so much ahead of you,” is written on a white sheet of paper in a clear plastic sleeve. “We hope that your soul can find peace.”
Find peace. How can that be possible when a child dies as a result of such a crime, a family is overcome with grief, and an entire town is stunned? The people of Döbeln are coming together these days. On Friday they want to commemorate Valeriia on the Obermarkt, each with a candle in their hand. “I call on all Döbeln residents to take part,” says the mayor. There will also be a joint service. A City administration donation account for the girl’s family is filling up. The town festival planned for the weekend has been cancelled. “Döbeln is not in the mood to celebrate. Döbeln is mourning.”
It is a bitter side note: Valeriia and her mother fled from Ukraine to Germany in 2022 to escape Putin’s deadly terror, believing they were safe. Now the mother has to suffer the worst loss imaginable. The girl’s father stayed in Ukraine. He, too, now knows that his daughter is no longer alive. “Our thoughts are all with the family and their friends,” explains Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer.
“The investigation is ongoing”
It will take a while for the mother and father to understand what happened, says grief counselor Petra Meyer in star-Interview. The path back to life is difficult for the relatives. “Parents always blame themselves. No matter how the child died. You just can’t accept it. It’s not possible. You look for an explanation and ask yourself: How could I have prevented it? What did I do wrong?”
There will be no explanation for this. Valeriia’s classmates and her teachers are also struggling for answers at the primary and secondary school in Döbeln. One idea is to set up a mourning corner in the school to preserve the memory of the nine-year-old. Psychologists are on site.
In addition to all the grief, there is another side to this case. The girl’s murderer has not yet been caught. Homicide investigators at the Chemnitz Criminal Investigation Department are working hard to change that. “We owe that to Valeriia and her family,” said Police Chief Kaempf at the press conference. Senior Public Prosecutor Ingrid Burghart has already spoken of “theories about the motive” that exist. The investigation is initially focusing on the “immediate social circle” of Valeriia and her mother, i.e. acquaintances, friends, relatives. They do not want to say more for the time being, “for tactical reasons”. The authorities do not want to reveal any information about the perpetrator, only this much: There is no evidence of a sexual crime.
After the violent death of nine-year-old Valeriia, mourners in Döbeln lit candles and laid down flowers, cuddly toys and letters
This Thursday, the “Bild” newspaper reported that there were two suspects. One of them was said to be the ex-boyfriend of Valeriia’s mother. He had fled to the Czech Republic. Another man, who had most recently lived in the Döbeln region, had also come under the investigators’ scrutiny, but had not yet been found. He is said to have repeatedly stalked the mother. starWhen asked, senior public prosecutor Burghart stated that they would not comment on such reports and possible hot leads. “The investigation is ongoing.” Everything would be done to solve the crime against Valeriia, promised police chief Kaempf. “That is our absolute focus.”
The people of Döbeln, the classmates, the teachers and, last but not least, Valeriia’s parents are relying on the officials. They hope that this will at least provide some answers to their tormenting questions.
But Valeriia will be missed, forever. With tears in her eyes, a neighbor speaks to RTL reporters: “I actually see her playing in the yard every day. Now everything is empty.”
Sources: Chemnitz Police DepartmentPublic Prosecutor’s Office Chemnitz, City administration of Döbeln, Michael Kretschmer, “Bild” newspaper, RTL(the star is part of RTL Germany)news agency DPA