Top cop fired over slow response
Romania’s police chief and two county officials were fired late on Friday after authorities took 19 hours to respond to emergency calls from a kidnapped 15-year-old girl who died at the hands of her captor in the interim.
Interior Minister Nicolae Moga said he fired Police Chief Ioan Buda, Olt County Prefect Petre Neacsu and Olt County Police Chief Cristian Voiculescu over the case in the southern Romanian town of Caracal.
The victim called the European emergency number 112 three times for help on Thursday morning, according to the emergency phone center. A 65-year-old mechanic, Gheorghe Dinca, is suspected of killing her.
Police said they did not enter Dinca’s house until 19 hours after she called.
“Why (authorities) waited ... must be clarified,” interim general prosecutor Bogdan Licu told private television station Antena3. “A girl who by all indications could have been saved has died.”
At the scene, police found what appeared to be human remains in a barrel and jewellery. Police suspect the remains belong to the 15-year-old victim and to an 18-year-old girl from a nearby village who was reported missing in April. Forensics analysts were working to identify the remains.
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