French authorities today placed under investigation a Spanish man accused of raping and murdering a British schoolgirl on holiday in France five years ago.
Appearing at Rennes Court of Appeal, Mr Francisco Arce Montes (51) was remanded in custody in a detention centre in the city in the Brittany region of western France.
He made no statement and showed no particular feelings, prosecutor general Mr Roger Tacheau said.
Mr Arce is accused of raping and murdering Ms Caroline Dickinson (13) at a youth hostel in Brittany in 1996 while she was on a holiday trip to the village of Pleine-Fougeres.
French authorities have alleged DNA from semen on Ms Dickinson's body and clothing matched DNA from a saliva sample given by Arce in Miami, where he was jailed in March on charges of burglary and lewd conduct.
A French court issued an international arrest warrant for Arce in April accusing him of killing Ms Dickinson. A US federal judge in June ordered him extradited to France to face trial.