A small child who vanished in the east of Serbia last week has been murdered, and two individuals have been taken into custody for suspicion of involvement.
On Thursday, President Aleksandar Vucic revealed this after an intense search for the missing two-year-old.
Danka Ilic disappeared on March 26 in the eastern city of Bor, leading Serbian authorities to utilize their own version of the Amber alert system for the first time in response to the child's abduction.
Vucic informed government officials, saying, "The police have apprehended two individuals who are responsible for the death of the little girl. It seems that both of them have admitted to the crime."
He added, "What type of cruel individuals are we dealing with?"
There was a brief moment of hope when a video emerged showing a young child at a bus station in Vienna, sparking speculation that Ilic might be in Austria, where a large Serbian diaspora community resides.
Interpol also joined the efforts on Sunday, issuing a Yellow Notice to notify officials about the missing person.
The missing child's mother, Ivana Ilic, shared with Serbian media that the family continues to remain hopeful throughout the search.
"We are anticipating the end of this ordeal, hoping for a positive outcome. Then my husband and I will address all the insults, accusations, and nonsensical claims publicly," she informed the local Serbian news outlet Nova.
Child abductions are relatively uncommon in Serbia, despite the spread of conspiracy theories about the trafficking of young people in the Balkan nation on social media.
AFP
