"Unimaginable", parents say about death of 14-year-old Lotte

"It is unimaginable in what situation we have ended up in," a spokesperson said on behalf of the parents about the death of their daughter Lotte. The 14-year-old girl's body was found in a ditch on an industrial estate in Almelo on Sunday. Three suspects are in custody, a father and his two underage sons, the police confirmed.

Lotte went cycling on Sunday afternoon and never came home. Her body was found in a ditch on the edge of industrial estate Wendelgoor early in the evening. What happened in between is not yet clear, but RTV Oost reported that the girl may have gotten into an argument with one of the minor suspects and the situation got out of hand.

"We are full of questions," family spokesperson Jeroen Baardemans said to RTV Oost. He is from Namens De Familie, an organization that provides spokespeople for families after serious events. Lotte's parents do not yet know how she died, but her body has been released. They are no focusing on the girl's funeral. "In the coming period, we want to focus on what is coming our way. We want to do that in peace and privacy."

According to the broadcaster, the police did investigations in three places over the past days - the place where Lotte's bod was found, and in two homes in Almelo and Wierden. The police said that they have determined the cause of the girl's death, but made no announcements on how she died. In general, the judiciary releases little information on cases involving minors.

Lotte's death is reminiscent of a terrible weekend in June 2017 when two 14-year-old girls were found murdered in separate cases. Both Romy Nieuwburg and Savannah Dekker were found dead in the water, and in both cases teenagers were convicted for their murders.

Onderzoek doodsoorzaak Lotte (14) uit Almelo afgerond; politie blijft uitgaan van misdrijf https://t.co/pbFr5LZl9j #rtvoost pic.twitter.com/IHtrkub3S3

— Oost (@rtvoost) January 13, 2021