A 21-year-old woman died Wednesday after falling from a hill after being attacked at the historic Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany. Prosecutors said the woman, who has not been named, died overnight after being pushed 50 meters down a ravine.
Her friend, a 22-year-old woman, is also in hospital with serious injuries after being pushed back while trying to arrest the perpetrator. Police said they had arrested an American in connection with the attack.
Officials said a 30-year-old tourist, whose name was not identified by police, fled the scene first. He was arrested on Wednesday after a massive manhunt involving more than 25 vehicles and was taken to a police station near Füssen in Bavaria.
A police statement said the man believed he met the women, whom German media said were American citizens, on a sidewalk near Marienbrucke Bridge. This is a popular lookout point used by tourists to view the castle.
Then he told them that the road to the bridge was difficult to navigate before attacking the 21-year-old, so he directed them down a hidden path.
“As the 22-year-old girl tried to intervene, they strangled her to death and pushed her down a steep slope,” Bavarian police said in a statement. An official said, “It is necessary to report a sex offense against a 21-year-old.”
“Then he pushed her down her slope, and she stopped about 50 meters beside her friend,” they added.
The 21-year-old woman was taken to hospital by helicopter, but died of her injuries. Her friend, in her presumed critical condition, reacted when her police found her.
The man appeared in Kempten District Court on Thursday, where an investigating judge issued an arrest warrant and the man was taken into custody. Attorney General Thomas Hormann told reporters that an investigation into the case had just begun. Germany’s most popular tourist attractions is Neuschwanstein . According to the
Bavarian Ministry of Finance, more than 1.3 million people go there every year.
Located about 126 km (78 miles) from Munich, it was built in the 19th century and served as the main residence of local rulers.
