DOBELE - The ten-year old girl known as 'Diana', who disappeared in the southern Latvian town of Dobele in mid-August has been found dead.
Police spokeswoman Ieva Reksna told LNT television Sep. 10 that the body had been found near the girl's home in a location which had previously been searched several times.
"Taking into account the place where the body has been found, and the appearance of the body, there are grounds to believe that there has been a murder," said Reksna, adding that evidence pointed toward the girl being killed some time ago.
Reksna did not reveal whether the police have any suspects.
Forensic Medicine Center head Velta Volksone told the Baltic News Service that detailed forensic tests have commenced, but that the girl's death was evidently violent.
This is a second case this year in which a missing girl has been found dead. Almost a month after her disappearance, police found the body of a 13-year old named Justine. A 43-year old man was detained for her murder, and charges have been brought against him for rape and a murder.
Meanwhile in London, court hearings commenced Sep. 7 in the trial of a man accused of killing Estonian shop assistant Egeli Rasta in July 2006.
Briton Garath Davies is accused of Rasta's rape and murder. The prosecution in the case maintains that Davies followed the victim to a park in Mitcham, Surrey, before committing the crimes. Her body was discovered two days later.
Davies pleads not guilty.
