13-year-old Erna H. from Mettmann is back safely!

13-year-old Erna H. from Mettmann is back safely!

On Friday, July 4th, the disappearance of 13-year-old Erna H. from Mettmann caused worried faces and great excitement. Erna made her way to the comprehensive school in her hometown at around 7:30 a.m. that morning. But after school ended, she didn't return home as usual. The parents immediately went looking for their daughter. When they found no trace of Erna at 5:10 p.m., they finally alerted the police. She took the matter seriously and immediately initiated extensive search measures because she could not rule out that the girl was in an emergency situation.

Fortunately, the police were able to announce on Saturday evening that Erna had been found safe and sound. This good news made many people breathe a sigh of relief. Erna had been staying with a friend in Haan, which led to her absence. The search officially ended at 8 p.m., which is a great relief to all family and friends involved.

Disappearances again and constant worries

This wasn't the first time Erna H. had disappeared. The teenager had already left once, but returned herself after a short time. Such cases are not uncommon. In cities like Düsseldorf, where the police are confronted with missing young people every day, around five to six young people are known to be “long-term runners” every day who are briefly reported missing by their parents. Due to Erna's case, a high-profile search was started in Mettmann, during which a photo of the girl was also distributed. Her description was clear: 1.60 to 1.65 meters tall, strong and stable, with long brown hair. Her clothing consisted of a blue T-shirt, black pants and black shoes.

The crucial role of the police

The police play a crucial role in the search for missing children. Chief Detective Torben Konrad, deputy head of Criminal Investigation Department 44 of the Düsseldorf police, emphasizes how important the first hours are after a child's disappearance. Good cooperation with parents is essential. During the search, a quick check is made to see where the child might be. The police have various strategies and measures in place, such as checking contact points and, if necessary, using hundreds and helicopters.

But there are also challenges: the longer a child remains missing, the higher the risk to their safety. At night, when fewer people are out and about, the search can be made even more difficult as frightened children could even hide.

Erna's case shows how important it is to act quickly and how the community comes together to deal with such situations. The Mettmann police have now successfully extinguished the missing person search and would like to thank everyone who helped in the search.

For anyone who would like to find out more about the events surrounding missing people, we recommend reading the reporting on RP Online, Image or WDR. We can only hope that such cases will become less common in the future and that the safety of our children will always be guaranteed.