Seven youth welfare workers are being investigated for involuntary manslaughter after a little girl who died from choking on her own vomit was dumped in a river in Germany by her father.
Cruel dad Sascha Wensing, 40, and his wife Maja Wensing, 39, are in custody over the death of their three-year-old daughter in Dinslaken, North Rhine-Westphalia.
Wensing admitted dumping the body of his daughter identified only as L. in the Rhine-Herne Canal river on 1st October, but only confessed five days later.
The girl, who had reportedly been locked in a dark basement room for days, had died from choking on vomit while eating porridge, forensics revealed.
There is no information on whether his wife admitted to participating in the killing.
Now it has emerged that seven city council officials are under investigation as well.
The employees from the Dinslaken Youth Welfare Department are accused of not taking appropriate action after being informed about a possible case of child neglect in the Wensing family.
There has also been a visit of youth welfare workers to the apartment of the couple who had three children altogether, a spokesman for the Duisburg State Prosecution confirmed.
A spokeswoman for the city of Dinslaken said that the responsible departments were fully cooperating with the police in clarifying the circumstances on 30th October.
The city hall official did not indicate whether the child welfare workers under investigation have been suspended.
However, she confirmed that the employees in question were receiving support from lawyers paid by the city. None of them have been arrested.
Police are still hunting for the camping handcart they believe was used to carry the girl’s body to the waterway.
Investigators recently published a picture showing two children in a cart. Their faces are blurred and it is understood that the kids, who are waving at the camera, are the murdered girl and one of her siblings.
Police believe the cart was dumped after its grim journey to the river.
Its black nylon fabric has a logo saying ‘FROYAK Outdoor Gear’ with the silhouette of a bear next to it, according to a police statement obtained by Newsflash.
Investigators say the terrified youngster had been tortured in the cellar at the family home as a punishment.
Police, local media reports, believe that her parents left her there for several days before she choked on her own vomit.
A spokesperson for Duisburg Police said on 18th October: “Duisburg Murder Commission is looking for a foldable handcart that could have been used to transport the killed girl.”
Sascha and Maja Wensing remain in custody as the investigations continue.
