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Man suspected of murdering 9-year-old Ukrainian in Germany arrested in Prague

by Elsa Court and The Kyiv Independent news desk June 14, 2024 9:39 PM 1 min read

A German sign on a road indicates the beginning of the Czech Republic on March 18, 2021. (Nicolas Armer/picture alliance via Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Czech police arrested a Moldovan man on June 14 under suspicion of involvement in the murder of a 9-year-old Ukrainian girl in Germany, who disappeared on her way to school on June 3.

German police confirmed that the body of the girl, named Valeriia, was found on June 11, some 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) away from her home in a forest near Dobeln in Saxony.

The area is around 60 kilometers (38 miles) from Germany's border with Czechia.

The girl died as a result of "a violent crime," but the investigation found no signs of a sexual assault, Chemnitz police chief Carsten Kaempf said. The investigation is focused on the girl's "social circle," according to the police.

Czech police 36-year-old man was arrested in a restaurant in Prague on the morning of June 14, the Saxony police said.

"The Moldovan national is strongly suspected of having violently killed the nine-year-old girl from Dobeln," the Saxony police said. "The suspect is currently in the custody of the Czech authorities."

According to the German news outlet NTV, Valeriia had lived in Germany with her mother and younger sister since 2022. Valeriia's parents "are divorced and her father is fighting on the front lines in eastern Ukraine," NTV said.

Authors: Elsa Court, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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