Unearthed file might finally prove what happened to missing British toddler
The mother of missing Ben Needham believes that a 'forgotten' cache of case files may be the last chance of finding out what happened to her son.
In July 1991, the toddler had been staying with his mother, Kerry Needham, and his maternal grandparents on the island of Kos, where the family owned a home.
On 24 July, the youngster had been in the care of his grandparents while Kerry went out to work at a local hotel, accompanying the couple to a farmhouse renovation near the home.
It was here that Ben vanished.
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Despite extensive searches of the island and multiple lines of enquiry over the years, Ben's disappearance remains unsolved.
Numerous theories as to what could have happened to the 21-month-old have been put forward over the years, including kidnapping and trafficking, a fatal accident involving a local digger driver, and an accident after wandering off.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, Kerry has never given up on her son and, nearly 35 years on, revealing that she is currently attempting to access files held by police in Kos.
“They can study [the case] from day one."
Speaking to The Sun about the latest update in her son's case, Kerry explained that she'd been approached by a Greek private detective firm following initial reports that South Yorkshire Police would be winding back their efforts in the search. The force later clarified that its 'resource allocation' had not changed when it came to the Needhams.
Meanwhile, Kerry has decided to start fundraising to support a private investigation.
If the firm can access the files, it would mean that Kerry can go over the entire case from the beginning – something which she says has never been done before.
"They can then start from the beginning, look through the case files of everything that’s been done by the Greek police," the 55-year-old explained, adding that copies of information held by South Yorkshire Police had been sent over to Greece.
“They can study it from day one – which has never been done.”
Kerry believes the files will contain statements made by key witnesses in the immediate aftermath, as well as a report from a 2016 excavation near the farmhouse.
The 2016 search was carried out after a man claimed a now deceased digger driver admitted to accidentally killing Ben with a tractor and burying his body. While an extensive search was conducted based on the information, Greek police were unable to recover any human remains in the area.
Meanwhile, the man later retracted his statement.
"I want to see what the operation did during the excavation – who they spoke to, I want to know exactly what the witness said," Kerry said of the 2016 investigation.
She also wants police officers who worked on the case to be re-interviewed, noting that it needs to be done before anyone involved in the case passes away.
"If these people die – the secrets, the lies, or whatever dies with them, and I may never, ever find out what’s happened," Kerry added.
Abduction and illegal adoption theory
The decision to hire a private detective comes as Kerry is awaiting the results of a DNA test, after an American man came forward believing he was Ben.
Although there is currently little evidence to support the theory that Ben was abducted, Kerry believes it is the most likely scenario – due to a lack of other evidence and historical cases of illegal adoption in Greece.
"Thousands and thousands of children were illegally adopted into America, namely New York, from Greece," she said, claiming this began after World War II and continued into the 1990s.
Topics: UK News
Brenna Cooper