I don't know why there is such a mystery about this relatively minor incident here. During boarding a passenger notices a laptop under their seat and thinks it was there prior to boarding and hands it to the FA as something that was left behind. There is no evidence of bad faith. The FA was seriously remiss in not checking with other passengers, as after every flight the cabin is supposed to be checked anyway for security reasons. However, the FA's actions of leaving the laptop at the gate was the right action given that it was assumed a passenger who had disembarked from the earlier sector had left it onboad. So far, so routine. There is no "theft" and neither is there any suggestion of malfeasance.
Now we get to the interesting bit. Lufthansa have accepted the item into their care and they are legally responsible for handling it appropriately. The OP is entitled to expect Lufthansa to exercise reasonable care with their property and to return it. I would send a registered letter to them outlining the circumstances and stating that if they do not reply within 30 days you will initiate small claims court action for the return of your property. You are entitled to have it returned or to be compensated. I will post an address you can also write too to get the regulator involved to assist in the next post.
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