Teenage girl faked own kidnapping to blackmail €40,000 ransom from father, prompting 280-officer manhunt
Teenager and her accomplice had even recorded hostage videos, police say
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 13-year-old girl faked her own kidnapping to blackmail a reported €40,000 (£34,500) ransom from her own father, police in Germany have said.
More than 280 officers were involved in the massive manhunt which was launched when the youngster was reported missing in Berlin.
But the plot fell through when both she and an 18-year-old accomplice were seen walking down a city street a day later.
The girl – originally from Syria – was taken to the city's youth welfare office because she refused to return home. The accomplice, a male, was detained by officers.
In a statement, police spokeswoman Patricia Braemer said the pair were well prepared, had demanded two cash drops in a bid to cover their tracks.
She would not confirm the amount demanded but local paper BZ reported the 40,000 euros figure.
Her 18-year-old companion was taken into custody and was set to appear in court, where he will extortion charges and those of faking a crime.
A police statement said the pair appeared to be well prepared and had even recorded hostage videos.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
0Comments