Police appeal for footage of castle attack in which American woman died
16 June 2023, 14:04
An American man is in custody after allegedly pushing two women into a gorge near Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany.
Police in Germany are appealing for pictures and videos taken by witnesses of an attack near Neuschwanstein castle in which an American man allegedly pushed two women down a steep slope, killing one of them.
A suspect was arrested following the attack.
German news agency dpa quoted police on Friday saying that they have so far only received about a dozen submissions on a specially created website, but assume much more footage was taken by tourists present at the site at the time on Wednesday.
“We are looking for photographs which, by chance, show two young women and a man (approximately 30 years old) who were staying east of the Marienbruecke,” Kempten police said on their website. “These persons may have been walking together or separately.”
The Marienbruecke, 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, Americans aged 21 and 22, on a hiking path and lured them onto a trail that leads to a viewpoint.
“The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect,” police spokesman 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 21-year-old before pushing her down the slope as well.
She fell almost 50 metres, 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 remains in hospital, but is “responsive”, police said.
Authorities have not identified either of the victims or given any further details.
The suspect, who likewise was not identified, remains in custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, prosecutors said, adding 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 in a statement.
