A blonde teenager from Germany whose remains were discovered in a forest nearly 26 years after she went missing was sexually assaulted before she died, say police.

Sonja Engelbrecht, aged 19, was reportedly out with friends before she disappeared in the city of Munich, in Bavaria, Germany on 10th April 1995, and was never seen again.

Then about 26 years after she was last seen alive by her boyfriend at Munich’s Stiglmaierplatz tram stop, workers in a forest near the town of Kipfenberg, Eichstaett district, found her femur in the summer of 2020.

The location where her remains were found were more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the the tram station.

German investigators then initiated a large-scale operation in the area that yielded more bones and bone fragments from a crevice, including a piece of lower jaw including teeth placed in plastic bags.

But nearly two years later on Tuesday (28th February), German police revealed their newest findings and claimed that the teenager was most probably sexually assaulted before she was killed.

Her corpse was reportedly found with no clothes on in the crevice, claimed the Bavarian Police.

They said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “Investigators are currently assuming that Sonja Engelbrecht is believed to have been the victim of a sex crime.

“It also seems extremely likely that the perpetrator, at least in 1995, had a local connection to Kipfenberg or to the Ingolstadt/Eichstaett region.

“For example, a place of residence, a job or even a vacation can be considered.”

Head of the Munich Homicide Commission Stephan Beer, 41, also added that the offender was apparently well acquainted with the place where he hid the body.

He added: “The perpetrator knew this location. No hiker gets there, no mushroom picker.”

The police explained how the 19-year-old woman’s remains were found wrapped in tarps and placed inside plastic garbage bags.

They added: “Analysis of these revealed that they had previously been used in construction or renovation work.

“It can therefore be assumed that the perpetrator either renovated or built privately in 1995 or was also professionally active in this area.”

Along with Sonja’s remains, detectives also uncovered a two-metre-long (6.5 feet) and 1.2-metre-wide (3.9 feet) blue and black blanket at the site.

They described the blanket by saying: “The front and back are not identical but have a mirror-inverted design, striking on both sides is the distinctive plant pattern, [it has a] label with inscription ‘Acryl Velours’ [and is] consisted of 90 per cent polyacrylic.”

The police urged anyone with information about the blanket or the victim to approach them immediately.

A EUR 10,000 (GBP 8,789) reward is offered for valuable information related to the case.