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[REVISION HISTORY]

Investigation into Preetz child drowning expands

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-21 08:55 UTC → 2026-09-04 06:41 UTC · added removed

Police launched a large-scale search on 5 August after three-year-old Bella S., an autistic girl with visual and hearing impairments, disappeared from her home in Preetz, Schleswig-Holstein. The operation involved officers, firefighters, volunteers, a helicopter, drones and search dogs, with up to 1,200 participants. On the morning of 6 August, rescuers found the child was found dead in a pool on the family’s property; an autopsy confirmed drowning and found no evidence of foul play. Authorities later corrected initial statements regarding the timeline. While early reports suggested have addressed why the child had died before the search began, police clarified that the pool had only been superficially inspected at 14:00 on 5 August and was not thoroughly searched until around midnight on 6 August. Investigators also noted that medical evidence cannot pinpoint exactly when Bella entered the water. The investigation has since expanded to include the child’s parents. Prosecutors and the Kiel Police Directorate have launched an investigation into suspected negligent homicide through failure to provide assistance. Officials are examining whether a breach of supervision or a failure in the duty of care led to the death. Following a request from the Kiel Public Prosecutor's Office, a district court issued a search warrant for the family residence to secure evidence. In located during initial efforts. During a subsequent hearing before the state parliament's Interior and Legal Affairs Committee, police officials explained the search failures. Officials noted that because the child reportedly left through the front door, which does not lead to the garden, the initial search focused on the surrounding area. During the a night search of the pool, a firefighter entered the 80-centimeter-deep water to walk the bottom, but heavy algae caused significant turbidity, making visibility impossible. Thermal imaging cameras also failed to locate the child until she was found floating on the surface the following morning. Chief Criminal Director Sarah Lampe of the Kiel Police Directorate addressed allegations that officers failed to notice the body during the first inspection. While a subsequent test using a doll failed to replicate the visibility of an object at the bottom, Lampe noted the pool was later systematically searched using a net. Investigators are now pursuing a new theory that the child may not have been in the pool during the initial search, suggesting she may have been hiding in the house or garden for several hours before falling into the water after the search was briefly suspended overnight. Prosecutors continue to investigate the parents for suspected negligent homicide through failure to provide assistance, examining whether a breach of supervision or duty of care led to the death.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-04 06:41 UTC Investigation into Preetz child drowning expands
  2. 2026-08-21 08:55 UTC Investigation into Preetz child drowning expands
  3. 2026-08-12 15:06 UTC Investigation into Preetz child drowning expands
  4. 2026-08-08 09:54 UTC Preetz child drowning investigation

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