Family demands inquiry into girl's 1994 murder

The authorities today faced demands to order a full public inquiry into the murder of a missing schoolgirl in Northern Ireland…

The authorities today faced demands to order a full public inquiry into the murder of a missing schoolgirl in Northern Ireland.

The family of Arlene Arkinson, who vanished in August 1994, are to have talks with the Ombudsman's Office in Belfast to discuss the controversial police investigation into her disappearance.

Her sister Kathleen said today: "The way all this has been handled is a disgrace, an absolute disgrace."

We want a full public inquiry into what went wrong and we are demanding that these files be handed back
Arlene Arkinson's sister Kathleen

A man convicted of the murder of English girl Hannah Williams was later acquitted of Arlene's murder.

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Arlene, from Castlederg, Co Tyrone, disappeared after she and Robert Howard (61) returned home from a night out in Bundoran, Co Donegal. Her body has never been recovered.

Mr Howard is expected to be questioned about a number of unsolved murders in Ireland, where he was born and lived for many years. He has a string of sexual convictions going back to 1964.

Mr Howard is serving a life sentence for Hannah Williams's murder, which he carried out in England after being questioned in Northern Ireland and then released without charge by police investigating Arlene's disappearance.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan confirmed today she would be making preliminary inquires following a major Ulster Television investigation, during which a former RUC detective who once headed the inquiry admitted he held on to police files after retiring.

Ex-Chief Superintendent Eric Anderson, who was also part of the team which investigated the August 1998 Omagh bomb atrocity, was secretly filmed asking for a £700 fee to speak about the case.

Arlene's sister Kathleen said: "We want a full public inquiry into what went wrong and we are demanding that these files be handed back.

"What is he hiding? Is he saying my sister is worth just £700? To treat my sister, a human being, like that is disgraceful. I just hope no family go through what we are having to go through."

Mr Anderson was unavailable for comment today.