Czech police detained yesterday in Prague a suspect for the murder of a 9-year-old Ukrainian girl from Germany, DPA reported, quoted by BTA .
The thirty-six-year-old man, a Moldovan citizen, is suspected of killing the child, the prosecutor's office in the East German city of Chemnitz said. The arrested suspect currently remains in the Czech Republic.
The girl, who is from Ukraine, was found dead in a forest on Tuesday after she went missing on her way to school earlier this month.
Little Valeria and her mother moved to Germany in 2022 and settled in the town of Dobeln, about 40 kilometers northeast of Chemnitz. The father stayed in Ukraine.
Prosecutors believe the girl was killed where the body was found. There is no record of a sexual offense.
Investigators have focused on the environment in which the victim has been moving recently. There are reports that the person arrested for the murder had a relationship with Valeria's mother in the past.
The daily newspaper “Bild“ reported that the ex-boyfriend contacted the mother on the day of Valeria's disappearance.
Czech police wrote yesterday afternoon in “Ex“ that law enforcement officers in the center of Prague detained a wanted man suspected of a violent crime committed in Germany.
So far, many questions remain unanswered, including the motive and circumstances surrounding the crime.
The killing sent shockwaves through Dobeln, which has a population of 24,000. Many placed candles, children's toys, photos and flowers last night near the home where the murdered girl lived.