New information sheds light on the case of the disappearance of 16-year-old Laura from Patras, as, according to revelations by the Hellenic Police (EL.AS.) spokesperson Konstantia Demoglidou, the minor appears to have already traveled to Germany before her disappearance was even reported.

Speaking to ERT, Demoglidou stated that Laura disappeared in the morning hours of January 8 from the area where she lives in Patras, immediately reached Athens—most likely by taxi, as emerged from video footage available to the police—and then purchased an airline ticket for 5:30 in the afternoon to a city in Germany. “When her parents arrived at the police station around eight in the evening to report the disappearance, the child had already landed in Germany,” the EL.AS. spokesperson said characteristically, one day after the release of video evidence showing the moment the girl bought a ticket to depart for Frankfurt.

However, K. Demoglidou noted that the possibility that the 16-year-old ultimately did not travel abroad cannot be ruled out. As she emphasized, “Unfortunately, although three separate documents were sent (on 12, 16, and 18 January) to all companies through which someone could travel by air to Germany, there is one major company—from which we know the ticket in question was issued—that never responded to the Hellenic Police, even though the third reminder stated that there was a risk to the child’s life.”

She added that “although we had no official information during the first two 24-hour periods as to whether the child had traveled, police officers contacted the German authorities via Europol, as there was a relative there. The German authorities replied that Laura was not with her brother. However, they were aware that the Hellenic Police were searching for this child in Germany and were informed that if she were found anywhere in Germany, the Hellenic Police must be notified.”

As K. Demoglidou stressed, “The child leaves Omonia from the specific travel agency, boards a bus that takes travelers to the international airport, and it appears that from there she indeed traveled—again, I repeat, without this having been confirmed either by the airline or by the German authorities. We believe that she has reached Germany in some way; that is precisely why her traces have completely disappeared from our country, and that she has been located by a relative, although, of course, no information can be provided to us by the German authorities. We have also contacted other countries where there were relatives, with whom the child does not appear to be in contact.”