Thirty-three years after the heartbreaking disappearance of British toddler Ben Needham during a family holiday in Greece, a new development offers a glimmer of hope.
21-month-old Ben Needham disappeared on holiday on the Greek island of Kos in 1991
The 21-month-old toddler was enjoying a holiday with his family in the village of Iraklis near Kos town on the Greek island of Kos when he vanished on 24 July 1991. Ben had been left in the care of his grandparents, Eddie and Christine Needham, while his mother, Kerry, went to work at a nearby hotel. The toddler had been wandering in and out of the farmhouse when, at around 2:30 PM, his grandparents realized he was missing.
Despite exhaustive searches and numerous police interviews, investigators had no leads on Ben’s fate—until now. A man in Denmark has come forward, claiming to be the missing toddler from Lincolnshire. South Yorkshire police have taken a DNA sample from the unnamed man to compare it with Ben’s DNA, which they have kept on record to provide Ben’s family with a definitive answer.
A representative from South Yorkshire police said, “Whilst we have no jurisdiction in Greece, we are keen to support Greek authorities and Ben’s family in any way we can. A senior investigating officer remains in contact with Greek counterparts. Our thoughts are with Ben’s family, who have never given up hope of discovering the truth about what happened on 24 July 1991, and we will continue to support them in that endeavour.”
Following this development, Kerry, Ben’s mother, is urging the police to re-interview any suspects who might have been involved in her son’s disappearance. Speaking to The Mirror, she expressed the pain she goes through on the anniversary of Ben’s disappearance, emphasizing how every day is tough, but the anniversary is especially devastating.
“I really want them to re-interview a number of witnesses who lied and those who refused to talk to us properly,” Kerry said. “There are people who know where Ben is on that island. I cannot understand how they can live with themselves knowing they could end our torture. They can’t go to prison because the statute of limitations is 20 years, so they have nothing to lose.”
Over the years, both British and Greek police have revisited Ben’s case, hoping for new leads. In 2012, a deathbed confession from a digger driver suggested he had accidentally killed Ben and buried his remains. Unfortunately, police could not verify the man’s statement, and the remains found on the island did not match Ben’s.
Detective Inspector Jon Cousins, who was previously in charge of the inquiry, believed that Ben had died in an accident near the farmhouse. Yorkshire Police are now hoping that the new claim by the man in Denmark may help uncover new witnesses or evidence related to the originally suggested accidental death theory.
A spokesperson for the British authorities expressed their desire to continue working with the Greek police to resolve the case. “Whilst South Yorkshire Police has no jurisdiction in Greece, we are keen to support Greek authorities and Ben’s family in any way we can. Our thoughts are with Ben’s family, who have never given up hope of discovering the truth of what happened on 24 July 1991, and we will continue to support them in that endeavour,” the representative added.
