Latest news Germany: Further searches in the Fabian case
Following the broadcast of the television program "Aktenzeichen XY... unsolved", the police have been searching several properties in Germany since early this morning in the case of eight-year-old Fabian, who was killed.
06.11.2025, 10:33
SDA
A police spokeswoman confirmed to the German Press Agency (dpa) that several people in Reimershagen in the district of Rostock (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) and a property in neighboring Rum Kogel were involved. Around 120 officers were deployed, including officers from the state criminal investigation department and riot police.
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) had reported earlier. Further details of the operation, which according to the spokesperson began at 6.00 a.m., were not initially disclosed. The spokeswoman announced that the investigators would comment on the case in the afternoon. Searches had already been carried out in Reimershagen in connection with the death of the boy from nearby Güstrow, namely on the premises of a farm.
Numerous tips after "Aktenzeichen XY... unsolved"
Following the appeal for witnesses in the ZDF program on Wednesday evening, the investigators received numerous tips. After evaluating the calls, it was reported during the broadcast that the Rostock Criminal Investigation Department had stated after an initial rough screening that there were extremely promising leads.
The police spokeswoman was initially unable to say how many tips had been received by the morning.
Fabian's body was discovered on October 14
In the evening, the ZDF program also showed photos of the place where the dead boy was found. Fabian's body was discovered on October 14 around 15 kilometers from Güstrow in a pond near Klein Upahl. One of the photos showed a fire in the immediate vicinity of the pond. The police had only recently announced that the child's body had been set on fire, presumably to cover up the evidence.
The criminal investigation department assumes that Fabian was killed on the day of his disappearance. According to the police and the public prosecutor's office, the time frame for the crime could be October 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Days of searching
Fabian had not gone to school on October 10 due to feeling unwell and had stayed at home alone. When the mother came home from work, her son was gone and did not return home at the usual time.
The mother initially tried to find the boy herself, but then reported him missing. After days of searching with numerous emergency services, he was finally found dead on October 14.
