Security footage in Athens shows missing 16-year-old Laura purchasing a same-day flight ticket, pointing to a carefully planned departure from Greece. Credit: Facebook
Newly released security footage from Greece has captured Laura L., the 16-year-old German national who disappeared earlier this month, calmly purchasing an airline ticket to Germany just hours after leaving her home.
The video shows Laura entering a travel agency alone in central Athens and buying a same-day ticket to Frankfurt using her passport and cash. At the time of purchase, her disappearance had not yet been reported by her family.
Laura’s route from Patras to Central Athens
Investigators say Laura left her home in the Rio area near Patras and traveled by taxi to Athens, arriving in the Goudi district close to a major children’s hospital. From there, she moved toward Zografou before taking another taxi to Omonia Square.
At a travel office on Piraeus Street, Laura paid slightly more than €200 ($235) in cash for a ticket to Frankfurt. Security cameras at the agency recorded the entire transaction, confirming both her identity and her destination.
Βίντεο ντοκουμέντο έχει καταγράψει τη 16χρονη να αγοράζει αεροπορικό εισιτήριο για Γερμανία
ΠΗΓΗ: Live News#ingr #news #Λορα pic.twitter.com/SW7Y1haQkW
— in.gr/news (@in_gr) January 30, 2026
Signs Laura boarded the flight
Additional footage from security cameras at Athens International Airport indicates that Laura passed through the terminal later that same day. While Greek police formally requested passenger confirmation from the airline on January 12, the carrier has not yet issued an official response.
Authorities believe that after landing in Frankfurt, Laura may have continued on to Hamburg, where she had previously lived with her parents before the family relocated to Greece.
Evidence suggests Laura carefully planned her departure
Investigators now believe Laura’s disappearance was not impulsive. Evidence suggests she had been preparing to leave for some time. Before leaving, she reportedly purchased a new mobile phone, sold personal belongings, and closed several online accounts. She also appears to have gathered enough cash to fund her travels without attracting attention.
Digital analysis indicates Laura researched ways to leave home without being traced, including travel routes and methods that would avoid immediate detection.
Concerns over use of family documents
Police are also examining indications that Laura may have photographed her mother’s passport weeks prior to disappearing.
Because of their resemblance, investigators are considering whether she could use the document image to travel within Europe by bus or low-cost flights.
Laura’s case beyond Greece
What began as a local missing-person investigation in Greece has now developed into a cross-border case involving German authorities.
The Athens travel agency video represents the most convincing evidence thus far that Laura acted independently and deliberately, purchasing an international ticket before anyone realized she was missing. Authorities continue attempting to trace her movements after her flight to determine her current whereabouts.