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27 November 2003
AMSTERDAM — Two 18-year-old suspects have admitted involvement in the murder of teenage school girl Maja Bradaric, but authorities have released a teenage female suspect from custody.
The public prosecution said on Thursday both of the suspects who confessed have been charged with murder. They are said to be from Nijmegen and Beuningen, but their full identities have not been released.
The prosecution said the motive for the killing was relationship-based, but there was no evidence to suggest the 16-year-old Maja was sexually abused before her death, nu.nl reported.
Maja’s burning body was found by passing motorists near the eastern city of Nijmegen shortly after midnight on 18 November. She had been visiting friends on the night she died and was reportedly seen in the car of one of the 18-year-old suspects.
Police have arrested five suspects in total, three of whom had their remand custody extended by an extra 10 days on Monday. But the prosecution said inquiries into one of the three, 16-year-old Nijmegen boy Goran P., is continuing.
Justice authorities released a 16-year-old girl two days ago and a prosecution spokeswoman said there was no evidence to suggest she was involved in the murder. She reportedly comes from the town of Winssen and is possibly Goran’s present girlfriend, NOS reported.
A fifth suspect, reportedly a 15-year-old girlfriend of Maja, was arrested on Monday and will appear in court later on Thursday. Maja allegedly visited the suspect on the night she died.
All suspects are alleged to be acquaintances of Maja and Goran is her former boyfriend. He has allegedly confessed that he knew of, but was not involved in the killing.
Goran is a talented soccer player with the amateur youth of professional football club NEC. Neighbours have said the boy went through a wild, difficult period after the separation of his parents, but clamed down when he started playing football.
Maja recently broke off the relationship with him due to sexual intimidation, but arranged a secret meeting with him on the night she died, newspaper De Telegraaf reported.
Family and friends paid their last respects to Maja with up to an estimated 1,000 people who attended her funeral on Wednesday. The schoolgirl was buried at the local cemetery, Jonkerbosch.
The Dominicus College in Nijmegen — where Maja was a fourth year pre-university VWO student — held a closed, special ceremony at its auditorium on Sunday morning. About 600 students, parents and teachers attended the service.
[Copyright Expatica News 2003]
Subject: Dutch news