Abdul D., an Afghan asylum-seeker convicted of stabbing his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend to death, was found dead at a juvenile prison in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, police and prosecutors said on Thursday.

Authorities said in a statement that Abdul D.'s body was found in his cell and that he had died from an apparent hanging. They added that "there were no indications of foul play," and also that prison officials hadn't seen any signs of "suicidal intent."

Prosecutors and police have launched an investigation "to clarify the exact circumstances" of his death. Authorities scheduled an autopsy for Friday.

According to the state Justice Ministry, his cell was not under video surveillance since officials did not believe he posed a danger to himself.

The young Afghan was convicted of murder in September 2018 and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison under juvenile law.

High-profile case

In December 2017, 15-year-old Mia V. was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife outside a local drugstore in the southwestern German town of Kandel. Both the teen and her parents went to the police to report Abdul D:.'s threatening behavior prior to the attack.

Abdul D. entered Germany in the spring of 2016 and was registered as an unaccompanied minor. Prosecutors argued in court that the young Afghan acted out of jealousy and was seeking revenge for the breakup.

The case sparked outrage across Germany, with far-right groups staging demonstrations for months in Kandel. The focus of the protests shifted away from focusing on Mia V.'s death and became platforms for anti-refugee and anti-Islam sentiments. Counterprotesters also staged demonstrations calling for diversity.

rs/sms (dpa, AFP, AP)

First published: October 10, 2019

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