Found Alive Germany - Maria-Brigitte Henselmann, 13, Freiburg, 4 May 2013

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I've just been reading the comments on the FB and the Find Maria blog from Monika. She says a lot of thank yous to the police who supported them, and all the people who shared information, handed out flyers etc.

After the news was first broken on the FB page, she responded to say thank you to all the good wishes they had received. She said that Maria was sitting next to her, also reading them and they were both crying. It goes on to say that Maria had been reading about the search for some time, until she found the courage to contact the family and come home. She says she's doing well.

They are asking for space and time from people, especially the media, before they talk about what happened. When she is up to it, Maria will give her side of the story.
She doesn't want to see interviews made by supposed friends or family - any official interviews/information will come from the police or from Monika/Maria. Anything else is clearly not in Maria's interest and will only hinder her. In Maria's words "they don't know anything about me, and yet they want to sell me"
 
Thank you for that link. There's a very interesting statement in there. Maria has apparently put something on FB to say she actually left Bernhard in the Summer or Autumn of 2013 as his behaviour worsened and she took off on a bike with a tent and spent three months travelling through eastern europe. She ended up in Italy where she got a job and even managed to finance her own flat.

However, since Bernhard H was also arrested in italy, the police aren't sure what to make of everything just yet. It seems her return has just give us more questions
 
I've been checking on this case periodically since she went missing and I'm beyond stunned to see the found alive. I'm so pleased for her mum and other family members, hopefully this can give hope to other families out there. I still have complete disdain for the German police though who could have stopped this on night one when they were still in Freiburg if they'd taken it seriously.

Hopefully she'll receive the help and support she needs as she's missed practically all her high school education and god knows what mental scars she's got. I hope one day when she's ready the story does come out as I'm intrigued what she's been up to for the last 5 years without being found and returned to her parents.
 
Some details are beeing published on a police site

POL-FR: Freiburg: Geschädigte korrigiert ihre Aussagen - erneute Vernehmung von Maria

Google translate

Accordingly, they had now rather left Poland in the summer of 2013 together and went by bike across the Eastern European countries to Italy. Two years ago, in Sicily could be moved together with a flat. Both the detainee and Maria, according to their testimony, worked as day laborers to finance their common livelihood.
 
I never had any doubt in my mind that she wouldn't be found alive. She took off willingly (even was searching for somebody who could take her away from her mothers house) and was well cared for. Maybe we should do a little soul-searching before we dismiss this man as a horrible criminal. IMO In this case a lot of things are not black or white but a lot of shades of gray.
 
Bit of hope said:
I never had any doubt in my mind that she wouldn't be found alive. She took off willingly (even was searching for somebody who could take her away from her mothers house) and was well cared for. Maybe we should do a little soul-searching before we dismiss this man as a horrible criminal. IMO In this case a lot of things are not black or white but a lot of shades of gray.
Click to expand...

You can't be serious? We're talking about a THIRTEEN year old child here when she first went. He's almost certainly engaged in sexual activity with her as well which makes him a child rapist on top of being an abductor. 13 year old children don't get to decide that they want to go off with 50 year old men as they're not old enough to make that call, it's abduction plain and simple.

This man should spend the rest of his life behind bars as he's a clear danger to children. Don't forget he originally posed as a young boy when talking to her, classic grooming tactic.
 
Darling136 said:
Some details are beeing published on a police site

POL-FR: Freiburg: Geschädigte korrigiert ihre Aussagen - erneute Vernehmung von Maria

Google translate

Accordingly, they had now rather left Poland in the summer of 2013 together and went by bike across the Eastern European countries to Italy. Two years ago, in Sicily could be moved together with a flat. Both the detainee and Maria, according to their testimony, worked as day laborers to finance their common livelihood.
Click to expand...

Interesting. So she tried to protect Haase at first, although she left him.
 
SJ16321 said:
You can't be serious? We're talking about a THIRTEEN year old child here when she first went. He's almost certainly engaged in sexual activity with her as well which makes him a child rapist on top of being an abductor. 13 year old children don't get to decide that they want to go off with 50 year old men as they're not old enough to make that call, it's abduction plain and simple.

This man should spend the rest of his life behind bars as he's a clear danger to children. Don't forget he originally posed as a young boy when talking to her, classic grooming tactic.
Click to expand...

What I'm trying to say is this: yes, Haase is quilty according to the law. According to German law it's forbidden for adults to have sex with children younger that 14. He took a minor with him, although she went willingly. They met already a couple of times and she knew he wasn't a 15 year old boy. We don't know what happened between them, we don't know if she was groomed (handling her in a bad, manipulative way), captured and suppressed by him (they both worked outdoors and lived together) so there is a nuance. Questions stay: can a thirteen year old see "the true meaning and intentions" of a relationship like this and mix it up with love, I guess so and is this a healthy relationship? I don't think so. I can't judge about love...there can be love between people who have a big gap in age between them. Yes, again she was a minor...but not all minors are children and a lot of them are sexual active and yes, according to the law he is guilty (because she was 13 and not 14). Do you see the difference? If it was my daughter......$%@@. To be honest I think that men who are with this young girls aren't totally in there right mind. That would be IMO a relation with no equivalence and therefore not healthy.

From a article in German, translated in English
'The police assume a love relationship. Accordingly, the girl volunteered to go with the man. Nevertheless, Haase has been prosecuted because Maria is still a minor and it is unclear whether she is still voluntarily with the man'.

12-Jährige lernt Mann (52) im Chat kennen und taucht anschließend ab - bis heute

I'm waiting for Maria to speak up.
 
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Darling136 said:
She was 12 when she met him, so he may even have had sex with her then.

I wonder what is a good way to be groomed, hm...
Click to expand...

Sorry, yes according to the English language there is never a good intention about grooming. My mistake. Semantic mix up. Trying to explain: maybe he was just nice to her without wanting bad things i.c. grooming her.
 
I have been off the site for such a time and have just felt well enough to return - but to come back to this news... I cant explain my relief and happiness for the good news.

WOW - just WOW!
Welcome home Maria!!!
:D
 
FigTree said:
I have no idea what is being said, maybe someone can translate or clarify (in short) what is being said -

MSM Video report:
Maria Henselmann spricht | RON TV
Click to expand...
Maria: I never thought about what I am doing to my mom and that I am really missed.

Mom: I have my child back. What punishment would be fair? There is none.

The story is told how she met Haase. She told him about her problems at school and stressful times with her parents. In May 2013, they decide to go off.

Maria: He said ”If you go, I go with you“ and made it clear he won‘t desert me. If I won’t go home, he wouldn’t go to his home either.

They drove to Italy by bicycle and managed to survive by panhandling and cash-in-hand jobs. Maria didn’t have a clue how much her parents miss her and she didn’t find anything unusual about the age difference between her and Haase. Haase told her the age difference isn’t too common but is normal.

They were supported by locals in Italy. A 78 year old woman, Mariluccia, became Maria‘s substitute grandmother during that time. The locals noticed the age difference but nobody thought they were having a forbidden love relationship.

Mariluccia: They seemed like father and daughter. There was nothing ambiguous about the way they were presenting themselves, no gesture that would look like they’d cover up a secret.

Maria went along with everything and trusted Haase blindly. He controls her by fear, told her she shouldn’t google her name. If she did, they‘d immediately find her and that she couldn’t go home.

Maria: [He said] if you go home before you are 18 years old, I will go to prison for at least 15 years, and you will be sent to a children’s home. All the problems you had will even grow bigger then.

At the age of 18, she finally checked the Internet.

Maria: I googled my name and realized how big this was and it’s not over and done with. I waited until he went to work to avoid confrontation and simply left. On my way go Milan, I wrote my father to let him know when I‘ll be in Milan and asked if he could pick me up.

The reunion exceeded all expectations.

Maria: It was like in movies where you think it‘s not like that in real life, but it was.

Mom: I first looked for that 13-year-old girl but that only lasted 5 minutes, then she was home.

Maria then tells authorities where Haase is hiding, and he is consequently arrested. Maria doesn‘t want to talk about the sexual abuse, just that she was dependent and that she at first couldn’t understand that only he is punished.

Maria: I said to myself we both did something, why does he have to face trial and I don’t? But now I understand he should have known better.

Maria goes to school again. The camera team then has a big surprise for her. They brought Maria‘s dog and her substitute grandma from Sicily, another emotional reencounter.
 
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