Man suspected of murdering girl, 12, remanded to custody

A 46-year-old man arrested after a 12-year-old girl was found dead in his car in Assen on Saturday, was remanded into custody for another 14 days on Wednesday. The man is officially suspected of murder or manslaughter, the Public Prosecutor announced on Twitter.

The man from Hoogeveen showed up at a police station in Assen on Saturday night and asked officers to come to his car. The 12-year-old Djamila Marissen's body was in the car. She's also from Hoogeveen. The man was immediately arrested, initially on suspicion of involvement in her death. The suspicion against him is now elevated to murder or manslaughter.

The police previously stated that the man knows the child's mother, and through her also knows the girl.

According to newspaper AD, the man is in a relationship with the Djamila's mother and they live together. His lawyer Fred Kappelhof told the newspaper that the man already gave the police a statement. He also said that the suspect has a criminal record, but not a "relevant criminal record" - he's never been convicted of a similar crime.

Friends of Djamila's father are organizing a silent march for the murdered girl. "We're doing it primarily for the family, Sylvia Hurenkamp, one of the initiators, said to RTV Drenthe. "There are no words for what happened. You get the message and you want to do something, but you can not do anything. A silent march connects, then you're together. And we want to show support for to the family."

The march will start on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. at Het Palet in Hoogeveen, Djamila's primary school. It will end at RSG Wolfbos, the high school Djamila recently started attending. The family asks that participants bring a self-made butterfly along, according to the broadcaster. It symbolizes the colorful girl Djamila was and it was her favorite animal.