Wanted for 6 years: How hobby detectives endanger the investigation

Wanted for 6 years: How hobby detectives endanger the investigation

Friedersdorf, Deutschland - The case of the missing student Rebecca Reusch continues to attract the public attention after over six years. The 15-year-old disappeared without a trace on February 18, 2019 after she stayed with her sister Jessica and the brother-in-law Florian R.. Since then, the investigators have assumed a crime, but there is no trace of Rebecca's body. The reviews of the ongoing investigations become louder, not least because of the activities of self-proclaimed hobby detectives who, with their uncoordinated searches, put the official work of the police in danger.

After Rebecca was in the house of her relatives on the night of February 18, it is believed that Florian R. was bought her out of his apartment in Neukölln. The brother -in -law of the missing person, who is now the focus of the investigation, has already been arrested twice, but the evidence was not sufficient to transfer it as a perpetrator. The matter received special attention from a variety of theories and speculation on social media. Hundreds of videos about Rebecca's disappearance are circulating, including a scandalous video of a YouTuber, where a scene is portrayed in which a man tries to put a person in a trunk. Of course, this staged material does not ensure calm, but rather stirs down mistrust and confusion.

preparation for possible errors

The Berlin public prosecutor is concerned about the unprofessional missions of the hobby detectives. Sebastian Büchner, spokesman for the authority, warns of the possible dangers that assume the actions. By entering private property and the possible influence of witnesses, the course of the investigation could be endangered. In addition to the police, Wolfgang Reusch, the father of Rebecca, has the hopeful search for several committed citizens on his side who combed the forest near Friedersdorf. These private individuals pursue the traces and references to Rebecca's whereabouts, while the police have already carried out extensive searches in the vicinity of Lake Wolzig.

public interest and digital traces

The public interest in the case is unbroken. Since the day of her disappearance, Rebecca Reusch has been intensively sought by family members and the public who rely on social media to draw attention to their case. More and more users are showing their commitment by sharing videos and reports on the various aspects of the case. This ensures that Rebecca's history is not forgotten, even if the public prosecutor questions the effort of the hobby detectives. In addition to the classic investigations, the authorities are also faced with the digital world, where rumors and theories such as "never stop looking" concept are made popular by international databases who are devoted to the search for missing persons, as on The Suitcase Detective described.

Rebecca Reusch remains one of the many missing persons whose fate is uncertain. While the investigation continues, their relatives hope for answers and the evidence that may still be pending. The call for caution in the work of the hobby detectives is becoming more and more visible and could close the last gaps in the riddle about Rebecca's disappearance if the public and the judiciary continue to work together.