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Crime

German police search for girl & foster guardian

Darko Janjevic with dpa
February 21, 2018

Authorities in Germany are searching for 14-year-old Cäciele Schöning, who went missing from a group foster home, as well as her 24-year-old guardian. Police said recent leads put at least one of them in Hamburg.

https://p.dw.com/p/2t35z
Side-by-side photos of Alex Kessler and Cäciele Schöning

Police in Germany asked the public for assistance in finding 14-year-old Cäciele Schöning, who disappeared from the small town of Grevesmühlen in the north of the country last week.

The girl had been living in a group foster home. Her assigned guardian, Alex Kessler, is also missing. The authorities believe that the two are traveling together.

The girl was reportedly seen leaving the town in his car, a black Hyundai Santa Fe SUV.

According to German media, police are looking into suspicions of kidnapping and sexual abuse against the 24-year-old Kessler.

On Monday, police said it was following up a lead that the two had been spotted in Karlsruhe, southwest Germany. On Tuesday, however, authorities said that one of the two tried to withdraw money from a blocked bank account in Hamburg, which is located some 620 kilometers (385 miles) north of Karlsruhe.

Search to include other countries

Talking to DW on Tuesday, police spokeswoman Jessica Lerke said that the information is just one of "many hints that are currently being investigated."

"We are checking every individual piece of information and examining their validity," she said.

The spokeswoman refused to disclose why the 14-year-old Schöning was placed in the group foster home where Kessler worked as guardian.

According to the authorities, the minor is 1.65 meters tall, slim, with dark brown hair. Kessler is described as 1.70 m tall, slim, and wearing thick glasses.

The search has been expanded beyond Germany's borders.