Detectives Demand Suspect Return After 17 Years in Martine Vik Magnussen Murder Case
Desperate Plea to Fugitive Suspect
Almost two decades after Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen was found raped and strangled in a London basement, police have issued a powerful new appeal. Detective Inspector Jim Barry from the Metropolitan Police has called on the main suspect, Farouk Abdulhak, to come back to the UK and face justice.
Martine, 23, was discovered dead in a basement on Great Portland Street on 16 March 2008, just two days after she disappeared. A post-mortem revealed she died from compression to the neck and was believed to have been raped shortly before her death.
Fugitive Identified and On The Run
CCTV showed Martine with Abdulhak at Maddox nightclub in Mayfair the night of 14 March 2008. Hours later, he fled the UK, travelling via Egypt to Yemen and has evaded arrest and extradition ever since. The Met has released fresh images hoping to coax the fugitive home.
A Father’s Heartbreaking Call for Justice
“For 17 years, justice has been denied as Farouk Abdulhak remains a free man in Yemen,” said Martine’s father, Odd Petter Magnussen. “Martine’s voice was silenced, but we must not be silent for her.”
Her family has fought tirelessly for justice and against violence towards women, creating a memorial park and hosting women’s rights events in her name.
Met Police Renew Resolve to Catch Killer
“You have been running and hiding for 17 years,” DI Barry told Abdulhak. “It is time to grow up and face your responsibilities to Martine and her family. Come back to the UK, explain yourself in court. Our hunt will not stop.”
The Metropolitan Police, recently commended for improvements in protecting women and girls, continue to press for leads on Abdulhak’s whereabouts. Over the past year, they’ve boosted officers in public protection and charged hundreds more with sexual offences.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police immediately as the search for Martine’s killer continues in one of the Met’s longest-running murder investigations.
