Mysterious death of German youth at Royal Park

Rafik Jalaldeen

RAJAGIRIYA: A 17-year-old German youth was found dead at the Royal Park condominium, Rajagiriya early morning yesterday. Police are probing the cause of death. Police said the victim had been a frequent visitor to Royal Park.

His body was found by a Security Guard outside block ‘B’ of the luxury apartment complex around 6.00 am.

OIC Welikada CI Sagara Liyanage said they suspect the victim may have either been murdered or had committed suicide.

He had either been pushed out of the apartment or he had jumped, CI Liyanage said. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was a frequent visitor to the Royal Park condominium and police are investigating to ascertain who he was visiting at the apartment.

The victim Reto Carl Joseph Steurer has been identified as the son of a Director of the German Tech and schooling at an international school in Colombo.

“We are still investigating whether he was on a visiting visa or a temporary resident in Sri Lanka,” CI Liyanage said. The German Embassy in Colombo refused to comment. This incident comes two years after Swedish national Yvonne Johansson was found murdered at the Royal Park condominium, on July 1, 2005.