BUCHAREST: A man in Romania has admitted to killing two teenage girls including a 15-year-old whose disappearance this week shook the country and claimed the scalp of the police chief, the suspect’s lawyer said on Sunday.

The suspect, named as 65-year-old Gheorghe Dinca, “has confessed his crimes”, lawyer Alexandru Bogdan was quoted as saying by Agerpres news agency.

“My client has said that the two teenagers went with him voluntarily but that in both cases a conflict erupted shortly afterwards and he hit them, the blows causing their death,” the lawyer added.

After initially refusing to answer any questions, Dinca eventually caved and admitted to the murders of Alexandra who vanished on Wednesday and 19-year-old Luiza, missing since April.

Dinca was taken into custody on Saturday after investigators searching his home and garden found human remains and jewellery belonging to Alexandra.

She was snatched on Wednesday as she tried to hitch-hike home to Dobrosloveni in southern Romania.

On Thursday morning, she managed to ring the emergency number 112 three times and give clues to police about the place she was being held by a car driver who had picked her up.

She yelled “he’s coming, he’s coming” before the line was cut, police said.

The case has sparked outcry in Romania, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets of Bucharest on Saturday evening.

Critics claim that officials failed to take the alert seriously and finally reacted too late to locate and help save the teen.

Interior Minister Nicolae Moga announced that he had sacked police chief Ioan Buda. Four other officials were also forced to resign.

Centre-right President Klaus Iohannis — who is frequently at loggerheads with the ruling Social Democrats — said the “resignations of all those who mishandled this case which had such dramatic consequences are obligatory”.

Luiza disappeared three months ago in the same area under similar circumstances.

Her parents this week accused police of also botching the case.

They said one official allegedly implied their daughter may have run off “with her Prince Charming” when they filed their report in April.

In Alexandra’s case, officers had searched three buildings before they finally found the house where she had been held, more than 12 hours after her phone calls.

Police then sought a search warrant, which is not required in emergencies, and waited till dawn to enter the house — 19 hours after Alexandra’s last call.

Thousands of protesters rallied outside the interior ministry in Bucharest on Saturday evening, placing flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2019