Man throws woman to her death near ‘Disney castle’
An American woman was killed after being thrown more than 160ft into a ravine by a man who apparently sexually assaulted her at a German castle.
A second woman, who was friends with the victim, was seriously injured after she tried to intervene in the attack near Neuschwanstein Castle, which is popular with visitors and said to have inspired Walt Disney, in Bavaria on Wednesday.
A suspect, reported to be a 30-year-old American national, has been arrested as police investigate the case as murder, attempted murder and sexual assault. Investigators are planning a reconstruction to examine the incident.
A Bavarian prosecutor said the women encountered the man on the Marienbrucke, a pedestrian bridge that overlooks the castle, before he led them onto a trail leading to a viewpoint.
In quotes reported by Bild, Thomas Hormann, the chief public prosecutor, said: “The crime happened on Wednesday around 2.40pm. The two tourists happened to meet the man on a hiking tour east of the Marienbrucke and joined him.”
At Neuschwanstein, there was a rescue of multiple people from a helicopter and one was taken out in handcuffs, seemingly after they fell from a cliff and climbed over railings. pic.twitter.com/yVGqqSRlwX
— Eric Abneri (@thefrownyface) June 14, 2023
At some point, the man is said to have sexually assaulted the young woman. When her 22-year-old friend intervened, the man strangled her and threw her into a ravine below the Marienbrucke, German media reported.
He then strangled the 21-year-old and pushed her into the ravine as well, it was claimed.
“According to the current state of knowledge, an attempted sexual offence to the detriment of the 21-year-old must be assumed,” said police in a statement.
The suspect was caught after a huge police operation involving 25 emergency vehicles on Wednesday afternoon and taken to a police station in nearby Fuessen, the statement added.
When mountain rescue workers found the two women, the 22-year-old was injured but apparently able to talk. She remains in hospital, with her injuries described as serious.
The 21-year-old was taken by helicopter to hospital, where she died on Wednesday night. Authorities are yet to identify the man or the two women, but all three are reported to be American.
Under German law, suspects must be brought before a judge before the end of the day of their arrest if its requested that they be kept in custody. Police said a judge ordered him to be held in custody.
Neuschwanstein Castle, about 65 miles south-west of Munich, is one of the most popular destinations in Europe.
It is estimated that around 1.4 million people visit the castle annually, and in the summer the castle counts more than 6,000 visitors on average daily.
