Berlin police search for missing 13-year-old Lisa Tạ; homicide unit investigates

Berlin police are continuing their search for 13-year-old Lisa Tạ from Marzahn, who has been missing since Tuesday morning. Police said on Friday that, as things currently stand, she probably did not leave her home voluntarily. The case is being handled by the 5th homicide commission of the Berlin State Criminal Police Office (LKA), and investigators do not rule out a crime.

A spokesman for the Berlin public prosecutor's office told the Tagesspiegel that there is an initial suspicion of a criminal offence, which is why the homicide commission took over the investigation. He gave no further details.

According to police, Lisa left her home on Golliner Straße at about 7.20 am. Around 7.30 am she intended to travel from Barnimplatz to her school on Sella-Hasse-Straße, but she never arrived.

Police have published photos of the girl and are asking the public for help. They describe her as about 160 to 165 centimetres tall, slim, with long dark hair. She was wearing a black quilted jacket with a hood, blue flared jeans, and white-beige DC Court Graffik shoes, and she carried a black backpack with no brand.

Tips can be given to the 5th homicide commission at Keithstraße 30 in Berlin-Tiergarten, by phone on (030) 4664-911555 or by email at LKA115-Hinweise@polizei.berlin.de. Outside office hours, people can contact any police station or the online police station. In urgent cases, they should call 110.