Plea for man suspected of student's murder to return to UK

The Metropolitan Police in London has recently renewed its appeal to the son of a billionaire, suspected of raping and murdering a Norwegian female student in London 17 years ago, urging him to return to the UK for questioning.

The body of 23-year-old Martine Vik Magnussen was discovered in a basement on Great Portland Street in London in 2008. The main suspect, Farouk Abdulhak, fled to Yemen within hours of her death. In 2023, Abdulhak claimed in an interview with the BBC that her death was the result of a "sex accident."

Magnussen's father and the lead detective in the case reiterated their appeal on Friday for Abdulhak to return to the UK from Yemen, as Yemen has no extradition treaty with the UK. A post-mortem examination revealed that Magnussen died from compression to the neck, with multiple cuts and abrasions on her body. Police stated that the investigation also indicated she had been raped around the time of her death.

Odd Petter Magnussen, Martine's father, stated: "For 17 years, Farouk Abdulhak has remained at large, and justice has not been served. Violence against women and girls is a crisis affecting families globally, and Martine's case is a stark reminder that justice delayed is justice denied. Martine's voice was silenced, but we must not remain silent for her."

Both Magnussen and Abdulhak were students at Regent's Business School London. In the early hours of March 14, 2008, the two celebrated the end of exams together at the Maddox nightclub in Mayfair. CCTV footage showed Martine leaving the nightclub with Abdulhak at 2:59 AM. Her friends said that Abdulhak suggested hosting a party at his apartment on Great Portland Street. Two days later, police discovered her body in the basement of the apartment building, but the prime suspect, Abdulhak, had already fled the UK, taking a commercial flight to Cairo and then to Yemen.

Abdulhak's father, Shaher Abdulhak, who passed away in 2020, was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Yemen. He built a business empire based on sugar, soft drinks, oil, and arms, and was a close friend of then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh. In a 2023 BBC interview, Abdulhak said, "I did something when I was young, it was a mistake." He stated via text message: "It was just an accident. There was nothing evil. Just a sex accident." He added, "No one knows because I can barely piece together what happened." When asked why, he answered with one word: "Cocaine." He described himself as "screwed legally" because he "left the country and the body was moved." He also told the BBC: "1: I deeply regret the unfortunate accident that happened. 2: Regret coming here (Yemen), should have stayed and taken responsibility." His lawyers had previously insisted on his innocence.

In a 2023 telephone interview with BBC News journalist Nawal Al-Maghafi, Abdulhak stated, "I don't think justice will be served." When asked if he would return to the UK, he said, "I think there's a serious bias in the criminal justice system there (in the UK). I think they'd want to make an example of me because I'm the son of an Arab, the son of... a rich man... It's too late now."

Detective Inspector Jim Barry, who is leading the Metropolitan Police investigation, stated that the police are "as committed to securing justice for Martine as we were in 2008." In a message to Abdulhak, Barry said: "You have been on the run and in hiding for 17 years. You participated in a BBC documentary explaining what happened. Now is the time to grow up and take responsibility for Martine and her family. Come to the UK now and explain everything to the court and the jury. Our pursuit of you will not stop."