The mysterious disappearance
Debora Sassen, affectionately called Debby by everyone, is at the center of a case that marks the most mysterious disappearance of a child from Düsseldorf.
On February 13, 1996, a seemingly ordinary school day in the Wersten district of Düsseldorf came to its bitter end.
Eight-year-old Debby left the grounds of the primary school on Rheindorfer Weg around noon, directly after swimming lessons.
She carried her schoolbag over her shoulder as usual, ready to begin the short journey home.
The distance to her parents’ apartment was only slightly more than 900 meters.
A classmate last saw Debby at the back exit of the school on Wiesdorfer Straße.
On that frosty February day, the young girl wore her striking red jacket, matching red tights and red shoes.
Her schoolbag was firmly attached to her back.
But after that moment, all trace of her was lost.
Debby should never reach her home.
The beginning of an unprecedented search
When the girl didn’t show up at lunchtime, alarm bells immediately rang for the family.
Full of worry, the parents reported their little daughter missing to the police.
What immediately followed was one of the most extensive and largest search operations in the entire history of the city of Düsseldorf.
Hundreds of police officers, trained sniffer dogs, divers and helicopters systematically combed every nook and cranny of the entire surrounding area.
Even a frozen lake in the Buga area was repeatedly searched with great effort.
But all these efforts were in vain.
There was absolutely no indication.
No articles of clothing, no shoes, and no school bags were ever found.
It almost seemed as if the earth had simply closed behind the child.
A mysterious stranger and clues leading nowhere.
During the investigation, eyewitnesses reported seeing a man in a beige car in the immediate vicinity of the school at the time of the incident.
A composite sketch was then created.
However, the unknown person remained anonymous and his trail quickly went cold.
Like so many other approaches, this specific clue ultimately led nowhere.
Even macabre rumors, such as an alleged clue about a lounger in the Haltern reservoir, unfortunately turned out to be nothing more than a bad joke.
Over the years, this case developed into one of the most mysterious missing persons cases in all of Germany.
The investigating authorities now strongly suspect that a violent crime has been committed.
However, despite countless investigative approaches, numerous witness interviews, and intensive forensic work, to this day neither a perpetrator has been identified nor a body found.
The destruction of a family
The case file of little Debby will never be completely closed.
The investigation is being continuously reopened and missing person posters are still being put up.
Furthermore, the public was repeatedly and urgently asked for information.
The impact of this disappearance was absolutely devastating for the family.
In the years following this tragic event, the family structure completely broke down.
The mother became seriously ill and moved far away to the Baltic Sea to get away from it all.
The girl’s older sister was overcome by such deep despair that she took her own life in 1999 at the age of only 19.
The parents eventually separated.
The stepfather then moved away with the younger daughters.
The mother lives alone today, forever scarred by the painful memory of that child who never returned to her.
New hope after three decades
However, in recent years the case has repeatedly come into focus for investigators.
Almost 30 years after the mysterious disappearance, in January 2026, the police conducted large-scale searches.
Several houses, apartments and even a cesspool located near the school in Düsseldorf were searched.
As part of these measures, potential evidence was secured.
This material is now being thoroughly evaluated by the Federal Criminal Police Office.
There are apparently specific suspects in this case.
However, no one has been taken into custody so far, and Debby remains missing without a trace.
Although decades have passed, this case is neither closed nor forgotten by investigators.
The police are keeping the investigation open and are pursuing new leads.
Even the smallest piece of information from the public can play a crucial role in the fight to finally solve the case.
Almost three decades have passed since Debby left the schoolyard on that bitterly cold February day.
But their fate remains a tragic and unsolved mystery to this day.
