Police confirm that girl found in Germany is Michala Janová

The little girl found by police in Germany on Monday has been definitively identified as the kidnapped Michala Janová. The German media have also published the name of one of the kidnappers, 50-year-old Uwe R., who is the father of two grown daughters. He was identified by staff at the car rental agency where he borrowed the car used in the kidnapping.

The German daily Das Bild has published an old photo of Uwe R. with one of his daughters when she was little. He now has two daughters, one aged 20 and another aged 23.

Uwe R. was apprehended together with three women on Monday at 20:45 by a special forces police unit in the town of Neuwied, which is near Koblenz. They are suspected of kidnapping Michala, who was not even three weeks old at the time. Two of the women were released on their own recognizance as there were not strong enough indications of their involvement to warrant remanding them into custody.

Witnesses said the car containing the kidnappers and the child took off in the direction of Germany immediately. The car was driven by a man and held one other person. Stolen license plates had been affixed to the vehicle. Das Bild has reported that police were able to apprehend the perpetrators because one of the stolen license plates fell off during the getaway. Highway cameras then recorded the car's correct license number.

The staff at the car rental agency identified the man who borrowed the vehicle. Czech daily Mf DNES has reported that the camera system captured an image of the car when it exceeded the speed limit.

Various speculations are still being made about the alleged kidnappers' motives.Yesterday Czech Police said they are working on more than one version of the crime, including a random kidnapping, a premeditated kidnapping, and a kidnapping within the community.

The little girl is in the care of physicians and is in good health. It is now certain that she is the infant who was kidnapped from Trmice in the Czech Republic. "Yes, the little girl has been identified, it's Michala Janová," said Vladimír Danyluk, director of the Ústí Police. It is not yet clear when she will return home as the appropriate authorities are still processing the transfer to her family, according to Danyluk. Until she is handed over to her legal guardians she will be listed as "missing"in the police database.