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It is one of the most mysterious missing persons cases in Germany: almost nine years ago, the then five-year-old Inga disappeared without a trace in Schönebeck near Wilhelmshof in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Investigators followed up more than 2,000 leads and clues, and 1,500 emergency services searched for the girl using helicopters and sniffer dogs. Bodies of water were examined, ponds were drained and buildings were searched several times. But Inga’s fate remained unclear.
On Thursday, the police again searched an area near Wilhelmshof, a spokeswoman confirmed at the request of various German media. Where Inga was last seen. For example, investigators were looking for undiscovered items of clothing that could possibly provide clues to the girl’s whereabouts, the spokeswoman told ‘MDR’. So far the search has been unsuccessful. It was not until mid-December that researchers found bones during excavations. However, it turned out that they are not of human origin.
May 2, 2015 changed the family’s lives forever
In early May 2015, Inga, then five years old, visited friends in Stendal in the state of Saxony-Anhalt with her parents and three siblings. A large barbecue with several families was planned. The girl was last seen during the preparations. It was around 6:30 PM when her father saw her carrying two large water bottles. The journey back from the barbecue area to the house was only 100 meters, her father told ‘Stern’. But she never got there.
The investigation into the case was officially stopped in 2019. But since last year, a new research group has been working on the cold case. The aim was to explore possible new investigative approaches, the newly responsible Halle police station said at the time. The stumbling block was the lawyer for the grieving family, who accused the police and the judiciary of making mistakes. He had found new investigative approaches in thousands of pages of files. Mother Victoria Gehricke told ‘MDR’: ‘I would like the unindicted investigation group to take a completely new look at the Inga case and thoroughly unravel everything. That every lead that appears in the file is checked again.” The need to clarify what happened to her child has increased over the years.
Inga’s case is reminiscent of Maddie McCann’s. The British girl disappeared in early May 2007 during a family holiday in Portugal. Meanwhile, German Christian B., suspect in the Maddie case, was targeted by investigators in the Inga case. They investigated whether he could possibly be responsible for the disappearance of the German five-year-old. (sam)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
