Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

CRIME

Police hunt Iraqi asylum seeker over rape-murder of teenage girl

Authorities in Wiesbaden have detained a man on suspicion of raping and murdering a teenage girl. A second suspect is believed to have fled to Iraq.

Published: 7 June 2018 15:23 CEST

Police hunt Iraqi asylum seeker over rape-murder of teenage girl

Photo: DPA

Police confirmed on Thursday that a body discovered the previous day in scrub land outside the state capital of Hesse belonged to 14-year-old Susanna F.

The teenager had been missing since May 22nd when she never turned up at home after meeting friends in the Wiesbaden town centre.

Several witness statements indicated that Susanna F. had been the victim of a crime.

Achim Thoma, the lead prosecutor in the case, said that Susanna had been strangled to death and that there was evidence she had been raped.

Police have detained a 35-year-old asylum seeker with Turkish citizenship on the suspicion that he was involved in the brutal crime. The other suspect, a 20-year-old from Iraqi, is believed to have fled back to his home country with his entire family. According, to Die Welt, the family used two different sets of identity papers to return home via Istanbul airport.

The breakthrough in the case came when a 13-year-old asylum seeker provided evidence to the police. It is not clear what relationship he had to the two suspects.

A photograph of the suspect, a 20-year-old from Iraq. Photo: DPA

The Iraqi family are believed to have entered Germany during the refugee wave of late 2015.

Several brutal rapes and murders have raised debate in Germany about whether the mass arrivals of refugees in 2015 and 2016 has made the country more dangerous for women.

Earlier this year a refugee from Afghanistan was found guilty of raping and murdering a student in Freiburg. Meanwhile two Afghan youths are awaiting trial in separate cases over the stabbing to death of teenage girls.

In Munich, the trial started in March of a Turkish asylum seeker charged with raping and assaulting a jogger in the city’s English Garden park.

While the far-right Alternative for Germany claim the crimes are evidence that Germany should not be taking in immigrants from Muslim societies, liberal groups have said that the crimes should not be used to cast suspicion on entire ethnic and religious groups.

SEE ALSO: String of knife attacks further fuels debate over refugees and violence

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

How Germany's 'opportunity card' will allow easier entry for foreign workers from June

Starting June 1st, non-EU citizens will be allowed to come to Germany to look for a job for one year with the Chancenkarte, or Opportunity Card.

The Chancenkarte is intended to make it easier for foreign skilled workers to immigrate to Germany and find employment.

Originally announced in 2022, the opportunity card comes as one of several immigration policy changes that the traffic-light coalition government has dreamed up to try to attract badly needed young workers.

Another major immigration policy change came in the form of Germany’s new rules for naturalisation, which will come into effect on June 27th.

With its ageing population, Germany is estimated to need at least 400,000 new skilled workers each year to fill its growing shortage.

READ ALSO: Better childcare to quicker visas – How Germany wants to attract more workers

What is allowed with a Chancenkarte?

Germany’s new Opportunity Card essentially works like a temporary visa or work permit, but with some specific limitations.

Namely, it allows foreign nationals to enter and reside in the Bundesrepublik for up to one year.

Opportunity Card holders are also permitted to work part-time jobs (up to 20 hours per week), or to take on two-week trial work.

The idea here being that companies that need specific roles filled can hire foreign workers for part-time roles from abroad more easily – assisting their entry into Germany via the Opportunity Card.

Alternatively, skilled workers can come to Germany to seek employment, and are then free to start work at a part-time level or on a short-term trial.

READ ALSO: Germany ranked fifth most popular destination for foreign workers

Should opportunity card holders want to work full-time, they can then apply for longer-term residency. In this case, being an Opportunity Card holder with a job offer makes one a prime candidate for a residence permit.

Who qualifies for the Chancenkarte?

The most basic requirement for a Chancenkarte is having completed at least two years of vocational training, or having a university degree from your country of origin that is relevant to your vocation, as well as language skills in German or English.

You also need to prove that you are financially secure – having enough money to finance your stay in Germany. This would amount to a little over €12,000 for the year, or it can otherwise be proven by means of an employment contract, if you already have a job offer

Provided you meet the basic requirements, your language skills, professional experience, age and connection to Germany will also be considered.

PODCAST: What is Germany’s planned points-based visa?

These factors are measured with a points-based system. Successful applicants will need to achieve at least six points according to the following qualifications:

4 points are given if your foreign professional qualification is recognised in Germany, or if you have permission to practise a regulated profession (e.g. educator, nurse or engineer). Note that very few applicants meet these criteria.

3 points:
- If you have five years of professional experience in your field (within the last seven years).
- For B2 level German language skills.

2 points:
- If you have two years of professional experience with previous vocational training (within the last five years).
- If you are not older than 35 at the time your application is submitted.
- For B1 German language skills.

1 point:
- If you are not older than 40 at the time your application is submitted.
- If you previously stayed in Germany for at least six months (excluding tourist stays).
- For C1 English language skills.
- For A2 German language skills.
- If you are trained in a ‘bottleneck occupation’ (meaning an occupation where there is a shortage of workers in Germany).
- If you apply for the opportunity together with a spouse.

You can find more information on this website, including a questionnaire to see if you are qualified.

You can apply for the Opportunity Card with the German Consulate in your country, or at your local Foreigners’ Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) in Germany.

READ ALSO: What happens to your work permit if you lose your job in Germany?

Url copied to clipboard!