In Germany, thousands of people gathered to say goodbye to the murdered 9-year-old Ukrainian girl. Photo

On June 16, the city of Döbeln, Germany, held a funeral service for Valeria from Ukraine, who was found murdered in the woods three kilometers from her home. More than 2,500 people came to express their condolences, and the mayor of the city, Sven Liebhauser, addressed the audience.

This was reported by the administration of Döbeln. "The people are deeply sorry for the fate Valeria faced," the statement said.

The mayor of the city thanked everyone involved in the search for Valeria, as well as the city's residents for their participation and willingness to help.

The city's church community allowed those attending the farewell to launch balloons. Many laid flowers or lit candles near the city hall.

According to the German newspaper Bild, at that time, Valeria's 32-year-old father, Ukrainian soldier Roman, was on his way from Dnipro to Germany.

Immediately after the disappearance of his child, he was released from service so that he could collect all the documents for a trip to Germany.

Roman hoped that he would be able to find his daughter on his own. Now he wants to take Valeria back to bury her in her homeland.

The man said he also wants to talk to the police on the spot and hopes to get answers.

"To be honest, I'm afraid to go there. I'm going to Döbeln, I have another 300 or 400 kilometers to go," Roman told the publication.

As reported, since 2022, Valeria has been living in Germany with her mother and younger sister Victoria. Her parents were divorced. On June 3, the child disappeared on her way to school without a trace and was searched for more than a week with the participation of helicopters, drones, sniffer dogs, divers, and hundreds of police officers.

According to Valeria's mother, 33-year-old Nadia, the last time she saw her daughter was when the girl left the house to board a bus and go to school. The child was not seen in school that day, but no one raised the alarm.

Valeria's father had not seen her for two years and hoped that his ex-wife would bring her back to Ukraine for the summer vacation. He said that he was surprised by Nadia's behavior, who sent the girl to school alone and did not allow her to take two phones and a smartwatch with her.

On June 11, police found Valeria dead in the woods three kilometers from her home. An autopsy confirmed her identity. According to law enforcement, the child was murdered, and there was no question of sexual violence.

Since then, police have been on duty near the homes of Valeria's mother and grandmother around the clock. The investigation is focused on the family's immediate environment, and it is possible that the killer will seek contact with the girl's relatives.

The girl's father did not have time to come to the memorial service but said that he would not allow Valeria to be buried outside of Ukraine.

According to media reports, the police had two suspects in Valeria's murder: men from Ukraine and Moldova. Both had previously tried to build a relationship with the girl's mother. Soon it turned out that the Ukrainian had an alibi, which has also been confirmed by German police.

On June 14, Czech police arrested a 36-year-old Moldovan in Prague. According to Bild, he was in Döbeln on the day of the murder.

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