Father of murdered student Martine Vik Magnussen demands new rules on extradition

THE father of a Norwegian student brutally raped and killed two years ago has paid tribute to the Met Police and the British authorities. Martine Vik Magnussen s semi-clothed body was found under a pile of rubble in the basement of an apartment block in G

THE father of a Norwegian student brutally raped and killed two years ago has paid tribute to the Met Police and the British authorities.

Martine Vik Magnussen's semi-clothed body was found under a pile of rubble in the basement of an apartment block in Great Portland Street, Marylebone, in March 2008.

Last Thursday her family hosted a remembrance event at Regent's College, where the murdered 23-year-old studied, at which they unveiled a tree planted in her memory.

Speaking at the memorial, her father Odd Petter Vik Magnussen said: "What is wonderful is that we have this approach by the authorities and by the police, which is second to none.

"It's an inspiring thing that's happening - not just at the professional level but also at the personal level."

Mr Vik Magnussen also revealed that he was still engrossed in a battle to change the laws which he said have allowed the man suspected of his daughter's killing, Farooq Abdulhak, to get away.

Mr Abdulhak, a fellow Regent's College student and the son of a Yemeni billionaire, left for his homeland after Ms Vik Magnussen's body was discovered.

He is wanted by Scotland Yard for questioning in connection with her death.

But with no extradition treaty between Britain and Yemen, detectives have been unable to bring him to Britain to stand trial.

Mr Vik Magnussen, who woks for NATO, said: "In today's mobile world we can't have two legal systems - one for you and me and one for people from countries without extradition.

"We want to fill this gap with new regulations on the UN level - new arrest regulations that will take away the possibility of using the lack of extradition from a native country to get away with a crime."

He added that he had been encouraged to continue fighting for justice for his daughter - "by the tremendous support that we get from all over the world and by the tremendous efforts from the Met Police".

He singled out Det Chief Insp Jessica Wadsworth, who is helping to lead the investigation into his daughter's death, for particular praise.

But even with all the help his family have received, he admitted that they were struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

"We do have difficult days and we still have reality checks," he said.

"When you do have these reality checks - and that can happen when I'm cutting bread or just sitting in the car - it strikes like a punch in your stomach. And they will probably hit us for the rest of our lives.