Reports of a brutal, racially motivated attack against two young Ghanian girls on Friday (June 14) caused uproar in Germany over the weekend. The story spread quickly across the country, prompting statements of outcry from citizens and government leaders alike.

Community members in the town of Grevesmühlen, located in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the attack took place, held demonstrations against racism over the weekend in response to the alleged attack.

But now, police investigating the case have walked back some key details outlined in the story presented on Friday.

Officers initially reported that two young girls from Ghana, aged 8 and 10, were attacked by members of a group of around 20 young people. The eight-year-old, the report said, had been kicked in the face by one of the attackers. The alteration continued as the girls' parents arrived, initial reports said. 

After looking at video and phone footage of the incident, however, Rostock police said: "According to the current status of the investigation, the eight-year-old girl did not suffer any physical injuries that would indicate the act described in the initial report."

Here’s what authorities say actually happened: The eight-year-old Ghanaian girl wanted to pass one of the group members on her scooter. The person she was trying to pass stretched his leg across the sidewalk to prohibit her from crossing, then hit the child with the tip of his foot. The child started crying and looked to her parents for comfort.

The parents then went to confront the group of nearby teenagers, which included the person who touched the scooter-bound child with his foot. According to the updated police report, "verbal and physical altercations" subsequently took place, and "xenophobic insults were also expressed.”

Police are continuing an investigation into the situation. 

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Citizens concerned

When asked by the German newspaper Nordkurier why the initially published story had changed, a police spokesperson said: "It was a highly dynamic and emotional situation. The first report was based on the information available at the time. The appeal for witnesses and the investigation team provided further information and results that now suggest a different situation."

In local reports, citizens of Grevesmühlen, a town with a population of around 10,000 located in former East Germany, expressed concern and fear. Some talked about the European Parliament elections, in which Germany saw a steep rise in the number of people voting for the far-right AfD party, which has spoken extensively about its plans to reduce migration to the country. 

“I think it’s almost to the point in which one doesn’t even want to make a public statement about [something like the attack],” one woman told an NDR reporter. “I’m just now realizing what is going on here and I am fearful — for my children, and to show my face.”

With dpa, epd

Also read: 'People of Deutschland': Everyday racism in Germany