15-year-old Kenyan girl who went missing last week in Germany found dead
A 15-year-old Kenyan girl who went missing in a Germany town last week on Tuesday has been found dead.
The teenager, only identified as Britney from Drewitz in Brandenburg, had reportedly quarreled with her mother before she left their home in Drewitz in Potsdam, apparently to visit some acquaintances. But she showed up nor returned home.
BODY FOUND
On Tuesday afternoon, her body was found by a man who had gone fishing along the river where her bag and personal belongings were found a day after she had disappeared.
Her body was found on the same spot the coast guard had searched for two days.
Police who were called at the scene confirmed that the body belonged to Britney.
“The girl still wore the clothes she was reported missing in, blue jeans and a white T-shirt, and she still had her cell phone with her. Her monthly train ticket was still in her pocket,” Reinhold Hüpkes – the coordinator of the first responders told the press after the rescue operation.
According to the first police press release, Britney had gotten into an argument with her mother and left their home on Tuesday evening at 10pm.
However, on Tuesday morning it was discovered that some information might have gotten lost in translation when the police interviewed Britney’s mother.
ARGUMENT
Using a translator on Tuesday morning, it was discovered that Britney actually left home on Tuesday afternoon at 1pm. The argument with her mother had taken place on Monday evening.
On the day of her disappearance, Britney was seen alighting from a tram at the Potsdam Central Station at 1:28 pm.
At 1:37 pm, she was seen meeting up with a friend around the Tram stop on Friedrich-Engels-Strasse, then she walked into the train station, where she was last seen.
According to local media reports, Britney was “online” for the last time on the day of her disappearance at 1.50 pm, when she was last active on WhatsApp.
According to the police, a witness mentioned to have seen her at 2.30 pm with two girls in the lobby of the Potsdam Central Station where they were taking pictures.
FOUL PLAY
One of the girls she was taking pictures with, who is of African descent, has not been reachable for comment.
The Federal Crime Police have initiated investigations into her death and at the moment no suspicion of foul play and a final confirmation shall be made once the investigations and the autopsy have been conducted.
Potsdam’s Mayor, Mike Schubert, responded with great sadness to the news of Britney’s death.
“All of us in Potsdam are dismayed by the death of the young student. It is awful and sad when a young girl in our midst dies unexpectedly. It is unfortunate that our hope in finding her live has not been fulfilled. We pass our condolences to and mourn with her mom, her family and her friends,” Schubert said.
Britney moved to Germany from Kenya with her mother and her younger brother about two and a half years ago. She used to attend a Gesamtschule in Potsdam.