In the case of a three-year-old who disappeared for more than twelve hours in Cologne, a man who was temporarily arrested was released on Sunday. The 70-year-old, in whose apartment the girl was found on Saturday morning, has been released from custody, the police and public prosecutor’s office said. The man was arrested and questioned.
Even after a medical examination of the child, there was no concrete evidence of a physical attack. The investigation against the accused is “currently based solely on the suspicion of child abduction,” it said in a statement on Sunday. There are no grounds for detention. Investigators had already stated on Saturday that the girl was “apparently uninjured” when police discovered her in the 70-year-old’s apartment as part of a major search operation.
The three-year-old from Kassel, who was visiting relatives in Cologne with her parents, disappeared on Friday evening in a nearby park in the Kalk district. Investigators reported that she was traveling with her aunt when she lost sight of her niece on her pink balance bike. The park in the Kalk district was “very well filled” at the time.
The police then searched for the three-year-old with a large number. Sniffer dogs and a helicopter were also used. As part of the search operation, residents were also rung to question them and get information. The child was finally found in the 70-year-old’s apartment – more than twelve hours after his disappearance.
After his arrest, the man was questioned and his apartment was forensically examined. According to initial findings, there is no familial relationship, the police said on Saturday. The three-year-old should also be interviewed in the presence of her parents. “The investigations, particularly into the circumstances surrounding the child’s stay in the apartment, are ongoing,” the statement said on Sunday.
