A 16-year-old Ukrainian refugee died after being pushed in front of a freight train in the German city of Friedland on Aug. 11, according to German media on Aug. 31.
The girl, identified as Liana K., was hit by a train traveling at 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph), allegedly after a 31-year-old citizen of Iraq pushed her onto the tracks as it approached.
At the time of the accident on Aug. 11 at around 4 p.m. local time, Liana was on the phone with her grandfather on her way home when he suddenly heard her screaming, according to Bild.
Police initially thought the incident was a tragic accident, though according to Stern, Liana’s parents raised objections to this theory after hearing her grandfather’s account.
The alleged perpetrator initially guided police to her body, saying that he had happened upon it. Then tests revealed traces of the man’s DNA on her shoulder, leading to his arrest.
According to Stern, the suspect – a citizen of Iraq who had been denied asylum but continued to reside in Germany despite a deportation order – had previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
At the time of the crime, he had a blood alcohol level of 1.35%, and he has now been placed in a psychiatric hospital under investigation for unintentional homicide.
Prosecutors say that there is no evidence that there was any connection between the suspect and the victim.
Liana had fled Mariupol in 2022 with her parents and two younger brothers after their house was destroyed by Russian forces, seeking refuge in Germany. She was studying to be a dental assistant.
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany took in more than 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees, the most of any EU country.
In November 2024, the head of the German Refugee Agency said that about 65% of them now plan to remain in the country permanently.