Police investigate new theory in death of three-year-old in Preetz

Police investigators in Schleswig-Holstein are pursuing a new theory regarding the death of three-year-old Bella S. from Preetz, who was found drowned in her family's garden pool.

During a parliamentary committee meeting, Chief Criminal Director Sarah Lampe of the Kiel Police Directorate addressed allegations that officers failed to notice the child's body during the initial search on August 5. Lampe explained that at the time of the first inspection, the pool's bottom was obscured by heavy algae growth. While a subsequent test using a doll failed to replicate the visibility of an object at the bottom, Lampe noted that the pool was later systematically searched using a net.

Investigators are now considering whether the child was not in the pool during the initial search. One theory suggests the girl may have been hiding in the house or garden for several hours before falling into the water after the search was briefly suspended overnight. The public prosecutor's office had previously opened investigations into the parents regarding potential breaches of supervision duties.