On October 18, 2016, 19-year-old medical student Maria Ladenburger was cycling home in Freiburg, Germany, when she encountered Hussein K. Hussein had previously entered Europe through Greece, where he was convicted in 2013 of attempted murder and robbery. He was sentenced to 10 years in juvenile prison but was released early.
In 2015, Hussein arrived in Germany and obtained asylum by providing false information regarding his nationality, age, and criminal history. He was placed in a foster family in Freiburg, where he subsequently sought another victim.
Hussein attacked Maria, knocking her off her bicycle, choking her, and dragging her to the bank of the Dreisam River. There, he raped her, inflicting severe internal injuries and leaving bite marks. After the assault, he pushed Maria, who was still alive but unconscious, into the river, where she drowned. Her body was discovered the following morning by a jogger.
This incident has drawn attention to issues surrounding immigration and asylum policies in Germany. For further context on related topics, see recent developments in immigration policy.
