Dead infant found in Berlin-Lichterfelde – Police identify juvenile suspects

A spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office confirmed to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the umbilical cord had still been attached to the child. "Die Nabelschnur hing noch dran", a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office confirmed to dpa. This suggests that the newborn had not received any medical care beforehand.

As a police spokesperson told the "Tagesspiegel", the child had likely been only several hours, at most a day, old. When and under what circumstances the infant was born remained initially unclear. The precise background is still being investigated.

Homicide commission takes over the investigation

The police did not initially want to provide further information "zu den genauen Umständen der Auffindesituation", as stated in a press release. The police also initially gave no further details on the number of juvenile suspects or their possible relationship to the child.

The State Office of Criminal Investigation's homicide commission has taken over the further investigation. This is to pursue the suspicion of a homicide offense, according to security circles. Whether the public prosecutor's office will request arrest warrants was initially unclear.

Réaumurstraße is located in the Lichterfelde locality of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district in southwest Berlin. The apartment building in which the infant was found is situated in a neighborhood characterized predominantly by multi-family buildings. Following the discovery, emergency personnel secured the area and questioned residents.

Reactions from the neighborhood

Residents were reportedly dismayed by the incident. One resident told a reporter that she had seen several police vans and ambulances on the street. At the same time, the police asked that any possible witness tips be reported and that speculation on social networks be refrained from.

The case is reminiscent of similar incidents in other German cities, in which newborns were found dead shortly after birth. Experts in such cases regularly point to assistance services such as the anonymous baby hatch or confidential birth, which can be used in emergencies.

Assistance services for emergencies

Berlin police announced a further press release for the afternoon. By then, the forensic investigations at the scene should be completed, it was said. The autopsy of the infant has also been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

Whether the identified juveniles were minors or already of legal age at the time of the incident remained initially unclear. The police also did not want to answer at this point whether one or several suspects are involved. Investigators continue to request tips from the public.

The public prosecutor's office and the homicide commission are working closely together, according to the information provided. Only after the completion of the initial investigative steps should a decision be made on possible further measures, a spokesperson explained. By midday, the case had also become a topic of conversation in the Berlin House of Representatives, where several members called for a swift and transparent investigation.