South Yorkshire Police stop Ben Needham investigation after 35 years
South Yorkshire Police told Kerry Needham they will no longer investigate ben needham’s disappearance after 35 years. The decision ends the major crimes unit’s role in the case and shifts any future inquiry to the Greek police.
Needham said the news came during a video call with her family liaison officer and left her shaking in shock. She said she was devastated, and that any new information will now go to Interpol and the Greek authorities.
Kerry Needham on the call
Needham said the stop came after nearly 35 years of searching for answers about Ben, who disappeared in Greece in 1988. She said South Yorkshire Police had been her “lifeline,” and described the move as “devastating news” and “a devastating step backwards.”
She also said plans to re-interview witnesses with inconsistent statements were scrapped, along with a meeting with the Greek public prosecutor. Needham said she was “horrified and in total shock” during the call, and later said, “I feel abandoned.”
South Yorkshire Police and Greece
South Yorkshire Police said they were acting because of a lack of time and resources. In a statement, the force said: “We remain ready to support Greek authorities should any new evidence come to light, and we remain committed to supporting Kerry. However after 35 years, we must ensure all of the appropriate routes are in place and remain fit for purpose.”
The force said responsibility for any future inquiries now sits with the Greek police. That leaves the case, which has been treated as one of Britain’s and Greece’s longest missing persons cases, outside South Yorkshire Police’s investigative chain.
What happens to new information
Needham said she and others have fought for nearly 35 years to keep Ben’s case alive, and that she believes there are still avenues to explore. She also said a planned trip to Kos with the Greek public prosecutor had been scrapped.
For now, any information about Ben Needham will go to Interpol and the Greek authorities. South Yorkshire Police says it remains ready to support if new evidence emerges, but the case will no longer be handled by its major crimes unit.
