Tragic demise of a 16-year-old occurring on site
In the small municipality of Geisleden in Thuringia, a shocking event has left the community in mourning. A 16-year-old girl, who had recently fled from Ukraine and settled in the area, died on August 11 at Friedland station.
Initially, the police assumed the girl's death was an accident. However, further investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Göttingen has revealed that the girl may have been pushed onto a freight train by a 31-year-old Iraqi man, who is now under a detention order in a psychiatric clinic. The suspect's identity has not been disclosed.
The girl was commuting daily from Heilbad Heiligenstadt, where her family had moved after leaving Geisleden at the end of November 2022. Her parents, who had also fled from Mariupol, Ukraine, in July 2022, had found employment in Germany and were living in the municipality before the tragic event.
The father of the 16-year-old was on the phone with his grandfather at the time of the incident, but his name has not been publicly disclosed in the sources available. The girl's cautious nature was highlighted by the mayor of Geisleden, Markus Janitzki (CDU).
The public's response to this tragedy has been overwhelming. Around 14,000 euros have been collected for the family's funeral costs through two fundraising appeals. The outpouring of support was immense, with much being donated online and many older people personally handing in money at the town hall in Geisleden.
Flowers and candles at the station in Friedland now serve as a poignant reminder of the 16-year-old. The girl was on her way to her training place in Friedland, which is located in the extreme south of Lower Saxony near the state borders with Hesse and Thuringia.
DNA traces of the suspect were found on the victim's shoulder, providing a crucial piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation. The suspect is currently being held in a psychiatric clinic, and the case continues to be a topic of great concern for the community of Geisleden.
