BERLIN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Maria H., a German girl who disappeared as a 13-year-old in May 2013 has been reunited with her family five years since her disappearance, Freiburg police confirmed on Friday.
"There is no happier family than ours today," a statement posted on Facebook by Maria H.'s mother read. She was contacted by her daughter via the social media network before arranging her pick up by friends in the Italian city of Milan and her subsequent return to Germany.
The young girl went missing together with a 40-year-old man back in May 2013 in a case which shocked many German parents. Police said that an international arrest warrant for the still-at-large alleged kidnapper and rapist remained active.
Maria H. met the man from North Rhine-Westphalia on the internet and is believed to have absconded with him voluntarily after several meetings in her home town. Police briefly traced the couple to Poland in the summer of 2013 where they were reportedly seen in a supermarket, but failed to unearth their exact whereabouts at the time.
Writing on Facebook, Maria's mother thanked police and supporters for offering her family generous assistance throughout the search operation. "It is simply incredible how much help, empathy, encouragement, warmth and friendship we have experienced," she said.
