Austrian 13-year-old Leonie, who was found dead last week, is said to have been given at least 11 ecstasy tablets before she was allegedly raped and murdered by several Afghan migrants.
A full autopsy of the teen is expected in the coming weeks, but already, investigators believe she may have been given a large number of drugs. A coroner has claimed to have seen evidence of violence on the teen’s body, as well.
According to a report from the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, the coroner noticed fingerprints on the victim’s neck and compression marks on her chest, suggesting someone may have pressed their knee into her.
Police reports have also suggested that the teen may have died of heart failure after being allegedly raped by the four Afghan migrants, one of whom is yet to be apprehended and is subject to an EU-wide arrest warrant.
Investigators say that the 13-year-old met up with two of the suspects, a 16-year-old and a 23-year-old, on June 25th at the Danube canal in Vienna. The pair of migrants allegedly started giving her ecstasy pills while at the canal before bringing her to an apartment in Donaustadt.
The body of the 13-year-old was found near the apartment wrapped in a carpet against a tree. Emergency services attempted to revive the young teen but were not successful. A police dog was later able to lead officers to the apartment, where she is believed to have been murdered.
Days after the discovery of Leonie’s body, three Afghan migrants aged 16, 18, and 23 were arrested, while a 22-year-old fourth suspect is still on the run.
It also emerged that three of the four Afghans had been declined asylum. But due to appeal processes, they were never deported, despite the asylum claim denials occurring as early as 2017 in the case of the wanted 22-year-old.
The fugitive migrant has also been on trial three times for crimes including drug trafficking and bodily injury, all of which occurred after his asylum rejection.
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