A nine-year-old girl disappeared on her way to school in Döbeln, Saxony. The police are expanding their search – even abroad – and are calling on the public to help. All developments in the ticker.
Friday, June 7, 10:19 a.m.: Döbeln’s mayor Sven Liebhauser thanked the many helpers in the search for the missing Valeriia. “The public is very concerned,” the Christian Democrat told the German Press Agency on Friday. “We all hope that she will be found safe and sound as soon as possible.” This is an extraordinary situation for the people of Döbeln. “As a father, this is also very upsetting to me.” He has observed a great deal of solidarity and willingness to help in his town. Many people have responded to the police’s call and have looked for the girl or clues in their own gardens, cellars, garages and sheds.
The nine-year-old comes from Ukraine and was last seen on Monday morning before she set off for school. However, she did not arrive at the elementary school. In recent days, the police have combed the city with hundreds of helpers and special dogs – so far in vain. The missing person report was also broadcast in the middle of the week on the television program “Aktenzeichen XY ungelöst” on ZDF.
12.47 p.m.: More than 300 officers are searching for the missing girl Valeriia in Döbeln. The 9-year-old did not show up at school on Monday and has been missing since then. As a police spokesman confirmed to “Bild”, the search is now also being carried out abroad.
“We are expanding the investigation beyond the country’s borders and working with foreign law enforcement agencies,” said the spokesman. They are working not only with Ukraine – the girl fled the Russian war of aggression in 2022 with her mother and sister – but also with Poland and the Czech Republic. The police apparently do not rule out the possibility that family members kidnapped the child.
The Bild newspaper has learned from investigators that the police have contacted the biological father. He denies that Valeriia is staying with him.
11.47 a.m.: Three days after nine-year-old Valeriia disappeared in Döbeln in central Saxony, the police have increased their search forces for the girl. Several hundred helpers were deployed on Thursday to look for clues, a police spokeswoman said. In addition to the riot police and police cadets, the water police were also deployed to search the Freiberger Mulde river once again. A helicopter and drones were also on standby, and residents were still being questioned.
According to the police, the child had set off for school at around 6:50 a.m. on Monday morning, but then his trail went cold. In any case, the nine-year-old did not arrive at school that day. An intensive search for her has been underway since Monday evening. The population of the town, which has around 24,000 inhabitants, was also asked to look for the girl in their own gardens, cellars, garages or sheds. The police have published pictures of her. So far, none of this has led to any concrete clues. Investigations are being carried out in all directions, and an act of violence has not been ruled out.
Valeriia comes from a Ukrainian family. According to the police, she has been living here in Germany with her mother since 2022. According to police, the girl is about 1.40 meters tall and has dark blonde, medium-length hair. On Monday morning, she was wearing a purple T-shirt, black jeans, a light turquoise jacket and dark blue ankle-high shoes. She also had a pink school bag with her. According to the police, the nine-year-old speaks broken German.
Thursday, June 6, 7:27 a.m.: The police want to expand their search for the missing girl Valeriia from Döbeln on Thursday. While on Wednesday they concentrated mainly on the immediate area in Döbeln and questioned residents, they will now go out into the area and search intensively, said a spokesman for the Chemnitz police department. They have plenty of officers for this. Exact numbers were not initially announced. On Wednesday, the search for the nine-year-old, who has been missing since Monday, continued with around 70 officers.
The child was last seen on Monday morning when, according to police, she was on her way to school at around 6:50 a.m. The girl did not arrive there, however. The police called on the public for help. Residents were asked on Wednesday to look for the girl in their own gardens, cellars, garages or sheds. According to police, the investigation is going in all directions, and a violent crime cannot be ruled out.
8:02 p.m.: The search for the missing elementary school student from Döbeln continues. Now the mother of nine-year-old Valeriia has spoken to “Bild”. She cannot explain her daughter’s disappearance. The mother’s words are nevertheless puzzling: “I have a good relationship with Valeriia’s father. Recently, however, there have been difficulties here.” Valeriia’s mother does not want to say anything more. The grandfather of the missing girl is also worried: “We are very worried. We cannot explain the disappearance.”
As the “Bild” newspaper reports, citing investigators, communication with the mother is proving difficult. The woman’s environment is being intensively investigated. Several former partners of Valeriia’s mother are also the focus of police questioning.
3:03 p.m.: The police continued the search for the missing Valeriia in Döbeln on Wednesday morning with special dogs. According to a “Bild” report, the school supervisory authority is now investigating why no one reacted to the nine-year-old’s absence. It is normal for the school to inform parents and police at the same time when a child is absent without excuse. “Unfortunately, we have to confirm that there was no report from the school,” said spokesman Clemens Arndt from the State Office for Schools and Education to “Bild”. He continued: “In this case, we have to determine why no phone call was made and at what point there were difficulties in maintaining the chain. Most schools report in the shortest possible time when a child does not show up without excuse. In this case, that did not happen, and we have to find out why.” Video recordings and interviews suggest that Valeriia did not even get on the school bus on the morning of the disappearance, according to the police.
According to the police, the investigation is going in all directions, although a violent crime cannot be ruled out. More residents are to be questioned on Wednesday. A police helicopter could also be deployed again, it was said. In addition, further video recordings are being evaluated.
According to police, the girl is about 1.40 meters tall and has dark blonde, medium-length hair. On Monday morning she was wearing a purple T-shirt, black jeans, a light turquoise jacket and dark blue ankle-high shoes. She also had a pink school bag with her. The nine-year-old speaks broken German. Anyone with witness information can contact the Chemnitz Criminal Investigation Department on 0371 387 3488.
11.03 a.m.: There is also great concern in the neighborhood about the missing elementary school student Valeriia (9). “She is full of life, she is funny, they jump around, they get along well with each other, they have settled in here,” said a neighbor to “RTL” about the cheerful girl.
“The whole neighborhood is involved in the search for Valeriia,” says the neighbor, with tears in her eyes. She is handing out search posters in various sizes, in the supermarket, just everywhere in the city, as she tells RTL.
The neighbor is visibly emotional: “I actually see them playing in the yard every day. Now everything is empty.”
With drones and dogs: Police continue search for missing girl (9)
Wednesday, June 5, 6:51 a.m.: On Wednesday morning, the police continued to search for a missing elementary school student from Döbeln in Saxony with drones and search dogs. “We are waiting for the results and will then decide how to proceed,” said a spokeswoman for the Chemnitz police in the morning. The criminal investigation department is also evaluating witness reports.
The police have been trying to find the nine-year-old since Monday evening. Police divers and water police were deployed, searching the Mulde river and the banks.
There is still no trace of the child from a Ukrainian family living in the small town. She was last seen on Monday morning; according to police, she had set off for school at around 6:50 a.m. The nine-year-old usually took a short bus ride. As it later turned out, however, she was not in class.
8:56 p.m.: Police spokesman Andrzej Rydzik told Bild that investigations are being carried out in all directions. A crime has not been ruled out. Investigators are also looking into a suspicious report from last week. Last Wednesday, an eight-year-old schoolgirl reported that she was approached by a stranger in a dark car near a primary school in Döbeln. The girl was stroking a cat when the stranger approached her and offered to show her other cats.
8.40 p.m.: The police have suspended the search for a missing elementary school student from Döbeln in Saxony. “The focus is now on the investigation and the review of the information received,” said a police spokesman on Tuesday evening. The search measures so far have been unsuccessful.
The police have been trying to find the nine-year-old girl since Monday evening. Around 70 officers also patrolled the city area on Tuesday. Police divers and water police were deployed, searching the Mulde and its banks.
There is still no trace of the child from a Ukrainian family living in the small town. She was last seen on Monday morning; according to police, she had set off for school on Bayerische Strasse at around 6:50 a.m. She usually took a short ride on the C bus. As it later turned out, however, she was not in class.
The search for a missing nine-year-old girl is continuing at full speed in Döbeln, Saxony. In addition to the city area, the focus is also on bodies of water such as the Mulde and ponds, and divers and water police are also on duty, a police spokeswoman reported on Tuesday. “Investigations are being carried out in all directions.” Interviews in the family’s surroundings and along the route to school are also being continued.
The girl was last seen on Monday morning. According to police, she had set off for school on Bayerische Strasse at around 6:50 a.m., but had not attended classes. She usually took the C bus. A tracking dog and a police helicopter were also used in the search.
There are no clues as to where the child was during the day, they said. According to police, Valeriia is about 1.40 meters tall and has dark blonde, medium-length hair. On Monday morning, she was wearing a purple T-shirt, black jeans, a light turquoise jacket and dark blue ankle-high shoes. She has a pink school bag.
The public is being asked for information. The police are asking: Who has seen the girl since this morning? Who noticed the girl on the bus or elsewhere in the Döbeln area? Who can provide information about her whereabouts?
