 Flowers at the river Dreisam where the body was found | |
| Time | 16 October 2016 (aged 19) |
|---|---|
| Location | Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany |
| Coordinates | 47°59′25″N 7°53′35″E / 47.990165°N 7.893157°E |
| Deaths | Maria Ladenburger |
| Convicted | Hussein Khavari |
| Convictions | Murder, aggravated rape |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment |
Maria Ladenburger (6 December 1996 – 16 October 2016) was a 19-year-old medical student from Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, who was found raped and drowned on 16 October 2016 in the river Dreisam. On 3 December 2016, Freiburg police arrested Hussein Khavari, who had been identified by a hair found at the crime scene, and a CCTV recording from inside a tram. DNA evidence linked him to the crime scene and he was ultimately convicted.
Khavari had entered Germany as a refugee in November 2015. It was later discovered that he had served a prison term for attempting to rob and murder a girl in Greece before entering Germany. This prompted a discussion about possible failures in European systems of information exchange about refugees and migrants, and any criminal records they may have.