Global Courant
Global Affairs has confirmed the death of a Canadian citizen in Germany after police in the Kempten district said last week a woman was pushed to her death by an American man at a popular tourist attraction.
Responding to a question from The Canadian Press about the reported murder of 21-year-old Eva Liu, a Global Affairs spokesperson said it is aware of the death of a Canadian in Germany and is seeking more information as consular officials stand by to assist the family.
“Due to privacy concerns, no further information can be released,” Charlotte MacLeod said in an email.
International media reports have identified Liu as an American who grew up in Naperville, Illinois, but a Facebook profile that apparently belongs to her says she is from Waterloo, Ontario.
Victims would have been pushed from the vantage point
While Global Affairs cannot release details of such cases, it is responding to media inquiries to confirm when it is aware of the death of a Canadian abroad.
German authorities said two female tourists from the US were hiking near Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany on June 14 when they encountered a 30-year-old American man on the trail. He allegedly lured them to a path leading to a lookout point, and attempted to sexually assault one of them before pushing her off a cliff.
When the woman’s boyfriend tried to intervene, she too was pushed off the cliff, authorities said.
The American man has been arrested, authorities said.
German police have not released names, but those who knew the victims identified them as Liu and 22-year-old Kelsey Chang.
Chang survived the attack and was on his way home to the US on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported.
Recent graduates
Liu and Chang reportedly just graduated from the University of Illinois together.
Rev. Mark Zhang of Living Water Evangelical Church in Naperville told the AP that Liu and her parents attended the church and that Liu’s parents told him she was killed.
“It’s a very difficult situation,” Zhang said. “Our words are powerless. We just grieve with them and pray for them. When one family suffers, our whole church suffers.”
