Two and half years after he went missing, a German teenager, identified as Marvin K has been found alive, locked in a closet of an alleged paedophile, Lars H, at his Recklinghausen based home. The police raided the home of 44-year-old alleged paedophile, an unemployed handyman, after he was suspected of circulating photographs of child sex abuse. During the raid of his house, the police found the missing teenager.
Marvin went missing in 2017
The police said that the 15-year-old boy who went missing in June 2017, was wearing the same set of clothes in which he was reported missing. He was 13 years old at that time. On the fateful day, Marvin who was placed with local authorities following the death of his father, had gone out to meet his friends. Marvin's last communication before his phone was switched off was a Whatsapp message.
The house where the boy was held captive is located 96 kilometres north of his hometown, Cologne. The neighbours said that they never saw Marvin, but often heard a lot of screams coming from Lars' house. Police said that the boy, currently with the child protection authorities, showed no signs of being held against his choice.
How the raid was carried out?
The police reached Lars' home with sniffer dogs, expert in locating hard drives. The police found a trashcan filled with used diapers and the house was stinking of urine. During the raid, when the police opened the closet, they saw Marvin standing quietly in dark wearing the same set of clothes which he was wearing when he went missing. The police also found Lars' 77-year-old father who was later released by the police.
Marvin reunited with mother
The child protection authorities called Marvin's 53-year-old mother, Manuela who was allowed only 10 minutes to meet her son. "He held on to me really tightly and he began to tremble. He said 'Mummy, take me home. I was locked away for two and a half years and I couldn't get any fresh air. He took my hand and wouldn't let go."
"I always said he was either dead or somewhere he could not get in touch with me. I had pictured to myself for two and a half years how it would be to see him again. The man with whom he was found must have manipulated Marvin. I could go crazy thinking about the things done to him," said the mother.
