Missed Elisabeth R. (88) in Halle: Large contingent of the police addiction!

Missed Elisabeth R. (88) in Halle: Large contingent of the police addiction!

on Sunday, June 1, 2025, the intensive search for 88-year-old Elisabeth R. in Halle began. The district police were supported in their efforts by a police helicopter, known as Hummel 3, and a rescue dog squadron. Elisabeth R. suffers from advanced dementia and is very disoriented, which increases the urgency of the search.

The last sighting of the missing persons occurred on Sunday at 11:25 a.m. in a senior citizens' facility on the street. According to the police, the description of the missing woman is as follows:

• Size: 1.63 meters
• hair color: light blonde
• physique: Hager
• glasses: yes
• Last clothing: striped sweater and gray trousers
• Mobility: on the way with a rollator

search measures and witness call

The search measures were intense and lasted until around 2 a.m. on Sunday. The emergency services continued on Monday because the search area was difficult to narrow down. Despite the support of space search and passenger dogs (mantrailers), numerous testimonies have been received, which now have to be verified. The police also led searches in Haller downtown, including on Graebestraße, Alleestrasse and Bahnhofstrasse.

A further use of the police helicopter focused on the old people's center and the Haller Drachenwiese. In view of the acute situation, the police asked the population for further information. In particular, information about people who are similar to the description of Elisabeth R. or have seen an abandoned rollator are sought. Information can be reported for each police station on 110 or directly from the Gütersloh police at 05241/8690.

context for missing cases in Germany

In the context of this missing person, the role of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is pointed out. The BKA has been the centralized criminal police position in Germany since its foundation in 1951 and is also dedicated to processing missing people. The BKA's “missing person” deals with the identification of unknown corpses and helpless people. One person is considered missing if they are inexplicably absent from their whereabouts and a danger to life or life is assumed, as explained on the BKA website.

For people who are over 18 years old, there is basically the right to choose their whereabouts without notification. At this point, the police intervene primarily when there is a danger situation. The situation is particularly critical for missing minors who are generally considered endangered as soon as their stay is unknown. These young people are usually taken into state care until they are attributed to their custody. On January 1, 2025, around 9,420 missing people were registered in Germany, and around 200 to 300 new searches are recorded every day.

The success rate in the investigation of missing persons is quite high; About 50 % of cases clarify within the first week, over 80 % within one month. Nevertheless, the proportion of people who have been missing over a year remains in about 3 % of the total registered missing.

The BKA and the local police station work closely together to clarify missing people as soon as possible and give hope to the families concerned, as can be observed in this current case by Elisabeth R. The police and the BKA hope for the help of the public to receive further information.

For more information and current updates, the websites of the Westfalen-Blatt, the BKA and the local police departments can be consulted: Westfalen-blatt , bka , bka - missing person.