A smoothie manufacturer prints a photo of the then five-year-old on his bottles, next to a picture of an artificially aged Inga, who would be 15 years old today. It is not a police measure, but a purely private initiative, said a police spokeswoman in Halle.
The bottles have been delivered to 30,000 markets in Germany, Austria and Switzerland since November 1st, said a true fruits spokeswoman. The campaign, which also takes up another missing person case, is expected to run for several weeks. The initiative for this came from the founders of true fruits. The families hoped for new clues.
Disappeared in May 2015
Inga disappeared on May 2, 2015 while visiting with her family in Wilhelmshof in the Stendal district. To this day, the child’s fate remains unclear. The girl was last seen while preparing for a barbecue. Extensive searches using technology and sniffer dogs yielded no results. The investigators followed up on more than 2,000 leads and clues. Ponds were pumped out, water bodies were examined and buildings were searched several times, but there was still no trace of the girl.
A second person who has been missing for many years is also being searched for on the smoothie bottles: it’s Lars Mittank. At the age of 28, he died on July 8, 2014 at Varna Airport in Bulgaria.
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**Interviewer:** Welcome to our show! Today, we’re discussing a unique initiative in Germany aimed at raising awareness for missing persons. Joining us is Ms. Anna Christenson, a spokesperson for True Fruits, the smoothie manufacturer behind this innovative campaign. Thank you for being here, Anna.
**Anna Christenson:** Thank you for having me! I’m excited to share more about our initiative.
**Interviewer:** So, can you tell us how this idea came about? How did True Fruits decide to feature missing persons on your smoothie bottles?
**Anna Christenson:** Absolutely. The founders of True Fruits wanted to find a meaningful way to engage our customers while also giving back to the community. They felt that using our bottles to display the images of missing children would not only raise awareness but also potentially lead to new clues in their cases. We’ve partnered with the families of these missing persons to support their search efforts.
**Interviewer:** That’s quite impactful. I understand that Inga, a five-year-old who went missing in 2015, is one of the individuals highlighted. Can you share more about her story?
**Anna Christenson:** Inga’s case is heartbreaking. She vanished while on a family visit and was last seen preparing for a barbecue. Despite extensive searches and following up on numerous leads, her whereabouts remain unknown. Her family has been seeking closure, and we hope that by featuring her picture on our bottles, we can reach more people who might have information that could help.
**Interviewer:** And it’s not just Inga. I believe Lars Mittank, who went missing in 2014, is also included in this campaign. How can people get involved or help in these cases?
**Anna Christenson:** Yes, Lars’s story is also heartbreaking. We encourage everyone to pay attention to the images on our bottles. If anyone recognizes these faces or has any information related to their disappearances, we urge them to report it to the local authorities or contact the families directly.
**Interviewer:** This campaign is being rolled out in thousands of markets. How has the response been so far?
**Anna Christenson:** The response has been incredibly positive. Many people have expressed their support on social media, and we’ve even received messages from those who have noted the faces and wish to help. It reaffirms our belief that even small actions, like a smoothie bottle, can contribute to spreading awareness and potentially solving these cases.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Anna, for sharing this important information. It’s a powerful reminder of how community involvement can make a difference.
**Anna Christenson:** Thank you for having me! Together, we can help bring these missing individuals back to their families.
