German police appeal for witnesses to attack on American tourists
Police in southern Germany are appealing for photos and videos taken by witnesses of an attack near Neuschwanstein Castle after an American man allegedly pushed two American women down a steep slope, killing one of them. A suspect was arrested following the attack.
The German news agency dpa quoted police on Friday as saying they had so far received about a dozen submissions on a specially created website, but assume many more images were taken by tourists present at the site.
“We are looking for photographs which, by chance, show two young women and a man (approx 30 years old) who were staying east of the Marienbrücke,” Kempten police said on their website. “These persons may have been walking together or separately.”
The Marienbrücke, or Mary’s Bridge, is a popular vantage point for photos of Neuschwanstein, the most famous of the castles built by King Ludwig II of
Bavaria in the 19th century. According to the initial police investigation, the suspect met the two female tourists, aged 21 and 22, on a hiking path and lured them on to a trail that leads to a viewpoint.
“The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect,” the police spokesperson Holger Stabik said. “The older one tried to rush to her aid, was then choked by the suspect and subsequently pushed down a slope.”
The assailant then appears to have attempted to sexually assault the 21year-old before pushing her down the slope as well, prosecutors said. She fell nearly 50 metres (165ft), ending up close to her friend.
Both women were recovered by mountain rescuers. The 21-year-old was flown to a hospital with serious injuries and later died. The 22-year-old remained in hospital but was “responsive”, police said.
Authorities have not named either of the victims or given any further details. The suspect, who also has not been named, remained in custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, prosecutors said, adding that it was not clear how long he had been in the country.
The US embassy in Berlin said it was aware of the incident and the consulate in Munich was in contact with authorities. “Due to privacy considerations, we are unable to comment further at this time,” the embassy said.