A schoolgirl radicalised by people she met online and persuaded into an Islamic wedding despite being just 15 is being sought by Austrian police.
The teenager named only as Sara Maria R., aged 15, as a result of concerns for her safety, had been placed in a crisis intervention centre in the city of Innsbruck, in Tyrol State, in Austria,
She has roots in Latin America and Morocco and was reportedly already wearing the niqab – a black garment worn by Muslim women that covers the face – when she was only 13 after earlier online contact with radical extremists,
But the teenager went missing in the evening on 16th August, 2022.
Her family said that she had converted to radical Islam and that she has slight learning difficulties and was easy prey for people that wanted to manipulate her.
She was last seen by one of her mother’s friends at a bus stop and reportedly told the woman that she had married under Islamic laws and had no intention of staying in her hometown.
But now, nearly eight months after her disappearance, the concerned mum named Yasmin Ilona Scheuer-Fernandez fears that her daughter is most probably being held against her will by her extremist husband.
Yasmin said that her daughter had met the man – reportedly from Munich or Cologne – online.
She said in an interview with Austrian media: “Anything is possible. I believe that she left voluntarily at first, but is now being held.
“Perhaps she was also abducted abroad.
“Due to a slight developmental delay and a slight disturbance of perception, she is an easy victim for people with bad intentions.”
Meanwhile, State Police Headquarters Tyrol initiated a search for the missing girl on 7th September last year.
They said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “The girl is described as follows: slender build, approximately 160 centimetres (5.2 feet) tall, longer hair dyed red-brown, brown eyes, often wears blue contact lenses.”
Now months into the search, head of Innsbruck Criminal Police Christoph Kirchmair revealed that they’ve received several hot leads to Sara’s whereabouts.
Kirchmair said: “We still assume that Sara is in Germany. In fact, several tips were received as a result
“Of course we’re checking this and hope that we’ll get new insights.”
Yasmin who thought Sara would get in touch during Ramadan, said: “She deleted all social media accounts, her mobile phone number no longer works.”
The search continues.
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Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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