Where’s Mama? For a week, Vlad (14) had to hope and fear that his beloved mother would be found safe and he could hug her again. Now the nightmare is finally over. The mystery of the disappearance of Ukrainian Alina A. (37) has apparently been solved. The mother of two is back with her children!
By Michael Behrendt and Maren Wittge
Review: On Easter Monday she wanted to take the S-Bahn from Petershagen in Brandenburg (Märkisch-Oderland) to Alexanderplatz (Berlin-Mitte). After that, their trail was lost. They looked for acquaintances on social networks. Now the redeeming news: Alina is fine.
According to the first findings of the investigating police in Strausberg, officials found her healthy in her host family’s accommodation. A spokeswoman: “She was not in the hospital because of a medical emergency, but apparently wanted to inquire about travel connections to her home country in Berlin.”
Because she only speaks Ukrainian and doesn’t know her way around Berlin, she lost her bearings in the capital and spent days and nights on the streets and on trains.
For the police, the process is now complete, there is no evidence of a crime.
While her husband bravely defended Ukraine, Alina A. had to flee Putin’s war with her sons. The Ukrainian from Kharkiv came to Germany a month ago and was taken in by an older couple with her sons Vlad (14) and Nikita (16) and her mother.
On April 18th, Alina wanted to go to Berlin to City East for two hours. Switch off, have a coffee. “Mom said goodbye to me,” says little Vlad sadly, when she was still missing. “Bye, see you later,” Alina had said in her native language. Then she disappeared without a trace.
Particularly sad: she even missed her son’s 14th birthday. Vlad had long forgotten his birthday wishes. Concern for his mother left little room for other thoughts. Sometimes he and his brother managed to distract themselves with homework. “We collaborate online with our old school in Kharkiv,” says Vlad.
Now they don’t have to worry anymore – because their mom is here!