A teenage girl was murdered by her kidnapper in Romania after police took 19 hours to search the house where she was being held despite her repeated emergency calls, her family say.

Alexandra Macesanu was abducted on Wednesday but managed to call emergency services three times to tell them she had been beaten and raped by a man who picked her up in his car.

The 15-year-old girl, who had been hitchhiking home from the nearby southern town of Caracal, gave officers details of where she was being held but they did not carry out a search for 19 hours.

According to Romania’s police chief Ioan Buda, Alexandra shouted “he’s coming, he’s coming” in one of the calls before it disconnected, BBC reports.

Mr Buda said two county officials had since been fired over their handling of the case.

Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania Show all 9 1 /9 Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania A child holds flowers outside the government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, on 27 July 2019 in memory of a 15-year-old girl who was raped and killed after she was kidnapped. Thousands marched in protest after police allegedly took 19 hours to respond despite the girl calling emergency services three times. Vadim Ghirda/AP Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania People light candles at a makeshift memorial site in front of the Romanian Ministry of Interior in Bucharest. AFP/Getty Images/Daniel Mihailescu Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania People hold a large Romanian flag while marching from the government headquarters in memory of a 15-year-old girl, raped and killed in southern Romania, after police took 19 hours from the moment she called the country's emergency hotline to intervene, in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, July 27, 2019. Thousands of people took part Saturday evening in Bucharest in a march protesting the handling of the case, blaming Romanian officials for negligence, incompetence and a lack of empathy. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Vadim Ghirda Vadim Ghirda/AP Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania People hold a banner reading "Romania is killed" as they march in Bucharest. AFP/Getty Images/Daniel Mihailescu Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania People light candles outside the government headquarters in memory of a 15 year-old girl, raped an killed in southern Romania, after police took 19 hours from the moment she called the country's emergency hotline to intervene, in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, July 27, 2019. Thousands of people took part Saturday evening in Bucharest in a march protesting the handling of the case, blaming Romanian officials for negligence, incompetence and a lack of empathy. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Vadim Ghirda Vadim Ghirda/AP Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania A woman cries holding a large Romanian flag as she take part in a march from the government headquarters in memory of a 15 year-old girl, raped and killed in southern Romania, after police took 19 hours from the moment she called the country's emergency hotline to intervene, in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, July 27, 2019. Thousands of people took part Saturday evening in Bucharest in a march protesting the handling of the case, blaming Romanian officials for negligence, incompetence and a lack of empathy. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Vadim Ghirda Vadim Ghirda/AP Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania epa07745180 A Romanian young man carries a national flag and shouts slogans while marching aside a huge national flag during a protest against the way Romanian authorities handled the kidnapping of a 15-years old girl, believe to have been killed in the southern city of Caracal, in front of the Interior Ministry Headquarters, in Bucharest, Romania, 27 July 2018. Up to 1.000 people marched through the streets of Romanian capital, asking the government to answer on the failed operation of saving the kidnapped teenage girl, who manage to call three times the 112 emergency number. Alexandra Macesanu, a 15-year-old girl from Dobrosloveni village, Olt County, disappeared on Wednesday after leaving for Caracal while hitchhiking. A suspect was detained and is accused of kidnapping and human traffic, as police are still analyzing the human remains found at his house. Top police staff were fired by the Interior Minister yesterday. EPA/Robert Ghement Robert Ghement EPA/Robert Ghement Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania epa07745183 Romanian protesters carry a huge national flag while marching during a protest against the way Romanian authorities handled the kidnapping of a 15-years old girl, believe to have been killed in the southern city of Caracal, in front of the Interior Ministry Headquarters, in Bucharest, Romania, 27 July 2018. Up to 1.000 people marched through the streets of Romanian capital, asking the government to answer on the failed operation of saving the kidnapped teenage girl, who manage to call three times the 112 emergency number. Alexandra Macesanu, a 15-year-old girl from Dobrosloveni village, Olt County, disappeared on Wednesday after leaving for Caracal while hitchhiking. A suspect was detained and is accused of kidnapping and human traffic, as police are still analyzing the human remains found at his house. Top police staff were fired by the Interior Minister yesterday. EPA/Robert Ghement Robert Ghement EPA/Robert Ghement Thousands protest after teenage girl murdered by kidnapper in Romania epa07745184 A Romanian young man kneels to light a candle at the end of a protest against the way Romanian authorities handled the kidnapping of a 15-years old girl, believe to have been killed in the southern city of Caracal, in front of the Interior Ministry Headquarters, in Bucharest, Romania, 27 July 2018. Up to 1.000 people marched through the streets of Romanian capital, asking the government to answer on the failed operation of saving the kidnapped teenage girl, who manage to call three times the 112 emergency number. Alexandra Macesanu, a 15-year-old girl from Dobrosloveni village, Olt County, disappeared on Wednesday after leaving for Caracal while hitchhiking. A suspect was detained and is accused of kidnapping and human traffic, as police are still analyzing the human remains found at his house. Top police staff were fired by the Interior Minister yesterday. EPA/Robert Ghement Robert Ghement EPA/Robert Ghement

Officials say they initially found it difficult to trace where the teenager called from, but finally identified the house they believe she was held in at 3am on Friday, local media reports.

Despite not requiring one by law, police then applied for a warrant and did not search the property for another 19 hours.

Human remains and jewellery were found.

Detectives suspect the remains belong to Alexandra and to an 18-year-old girl who was reported missing from a nearby village in April, but forensics analysts have yet to confirm their identity.

On Saturday, suspect Gheorghe Dinca, a 65-year-old mechanic, was detained for 30 days pending a criminal investigation.

The case has caused widespread outrage in Romania, where thousands marched in protest against authorities’ slow response on Saturday.

Chanting anti-government slogans and carrying Romanian flags, the protesters marched from Victoria Palace, the government headquarters, to Revolution Square, where they lit candles outside the Interior Ministry.

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Some chanted “resignation”, “corruption kills” and “down with the government” during the march, while also taunting police officers with shouts of “hide, your hands are stained with blood”.

The country’s prime minister, Viorica Dancila, announced on Saturday that she was considering a referendum on harsher penalties for crimes such as murder, rape and paedophilia in the wake of Alexandra’s killing.