Berlin police’s missing-person appeal for 13-year-old Vietnamese-origin girl Lisa Tạ. — Photo courtesy of Berlin Criminal Police

BERLIN — German police have launched a criminal investigation into the disappearance of a 13-year-old Vietnamese-origin girl who went missing on her way to school in Berlin, saying they believe she did not leave home voluntarily.

Lisa Tạ disappeared on the morning of Tuesday (November 3) after leaving her home in the Marzahn District at around 7:20am to travel to school. She never arrived, according to Berlin police.

The case has been taken over by the Fifth Homicide Squad of the Berlin State Criminal Police Office after investigators found indications that the teenager had not left her family voluntarily.

Police and prosecutors said in a joint statement on Friday that they were investigating a possible criminal offence and appealed to the public for information.

Lisa was last seen wearing a black hooded padded jacket, blue flared jeans and white-beige shoes. She was carrying a black backpack.

Police have deployed helicopters and search dogs and released photographs of the girl to help locate her.

Her mother, Nguyễn Hoài Xoan, has appealed to the Vietnamese community in Germany to share missing-person notices and provide any information that could help find her daughter, Vietnamese media reported.

Police have not confirmed what happened to Lisa and continue to treat her as a missing person.

Anyone with information can contact Berlin police’s Fifth Homicide Squad at +49 30 4664-911555 or email LKA115-Hinweise@polizei.berlin.de. — VNS