A 19-year-old Ukrainian refugee who had fled the war and settled in Germany has been identified as the victim of a brutal killing in Mannheim, allegedly murdered by her 17-year-old Syrian boyfriend just days before she planned to report him to police for violence.
Maria, who arrived in Germany with her family about three years ago after fleeing Ukraine, was found dead in the Käfertaler Forest north of Mannheim on Wednesday morning after a passerby discovered her body and alerted police.
As Bild reported, prosecutors say the main suspect, Mohamed, a 17-year-old Syrian national, had been in a relationship with the victim for more than a year. Investigators believe the pair met on Tuesday evening before heading into the forest together.
The fatal attack is believed to have taken place shortly after midnight.
“She was unaware of the attack and unable to defend herself. The 17-year-old is said to have taken advantage of this and killed the 19-year-old with his bare hands and, presumably, a branch,” a police report said.
Maria’s body was discovered several hours later, at around 8 a.m., prompting a major police operation. Authorities formed a 60-member special investigation team to track down the suspect.
The teenager was arrested later the same evening in Mannheim. On Thursday, he was brought before an investigating judge at Mannheim District Court, where an arrest warrant for murder was issued, and he was remanded in custody.
Further reporting from Germany has revealed that Maria had been preparing to report her boyfriend to the police over alleged assaults in the relationship. Her mother said the young woman had even arranged an appointment with the authorities shortly before the killing.
“She was going to go to the police yesterday. But that didn’t happen,” the mother told Bild.
She explained how the relationship had soured in recent weeks and that she had previously told the teenager to stay away from their home.
“At first, I liked him a lot. But a month ago, the atmosphere changed,” she said.
Ahmad, another Syrian migrant who is in a relationship with Maria’s twin sister, said he had previously seen signs of violence in the relationship.
“I remember a time when Maria was being beaten by him. I offered to stand up for her, but she didn’t want me to,” he said.
Speaking to Crimespot journalist Bastian Schlüter, Ahmad had suggested spending the evening with friends at his home.
“Maria said, ‘We’ll go to your house,’ and Mohammed replied, ‘No, no, we’re going to the forest,” Ahmad said.
He further recounted his experience of the evening of the murder:
“Mohammed called people and said, ‘I’ve made a big problem.’ At that time, nobody knew what had happened. But he called many people looking for a car. He said, ‘I’ve made a big problem.’ He wanted a car. No one knows exactly why he asked for a car. I didn’t answer, and my friend didn’t answer either. Someone told him, ‘I don’t have a car, do what you want. Solve your problem yourself.’ Because nobody thought he had killed someone.”
The case continues to be investigated as a murder, with the suspect remaining in custody.
