Hunt For Murderer Of Backpacker Held Up By Thai Red Tape

[Jimbo551]

Hunt for murderer of backpacker held up by Thai red tape

By Stephanie Condron

(Filed: 16/08/2006)

Red tape is preventing British police from questioning witnesses to the murder six years ago of a backpacker in Thailand, officers said yesterday.

This year, Thai police relaunched the hunt for the killer of Kirsty Jones, the daughter of a Welsh farmer, who was raped and strangled, after the original investigation was declared incompetent.

But eight months after saying that witnesses would be re-interviewed, the Thai authorities have yet to release the paperwork which would allow British officers to question witnesses in this country.

Miss Jones, 24, from Brecon, Powys, had just graduated from Liverpool University and was on a world tour when she was murdered on Aug 10, 2000, at the Aree guesthouse in Chiang Mai.

A string of suspects were charged or arrested, and subsequently cleared and released.

Dyfed-Powys Police, who helped the Thai authorities to secure the killer's DNA, say they now have the "key" to the crime and it is vital that they be allowed to speak with witnesses to get the killer's name.

According to the genetic profile, the killer is a local Thai man. Any of the British witnesses who were in Thailand at the time of Miss Jones's death might hold clues to his identity.

Chief Insp Steve Hughson, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: "There are witnesses back in the UK and we feel, and the Thais feel, there might be some merit in speaking to them now. In order to do that, on the Thais' behalf, we need a letter of request, an official document."

Royal Thai Police are understood to have written to the Thai attorney-general months ago asking that British police be allowed to question witnesses, but permission has yet to be granted. Police want to question "two or three" Britons. But Mr Hughson said that, without official permission from the Thai authorities to question them, any evidence might not be deemed valid in a court case.

Miss Jones's mother, Sue, said: "It is extremely frustrating."

[ronw]

Do I understand this correctly....? The British police need to have permission from the Thai authorities before they can interview British witnesses who are in Britain?

This is really unbelievable!!!

FRUSTRATING is an understatement..

[jdinasia]

For the interviews to be valid in Thailand courts they must get permission to act on Thailand's behalf

[Scott]

I remember this case vaguely, didn't a westerner go down for the murder first? Is there a link to the original story?

[Thistle]

I would hazard a guess that the Foreign Office and the British Embassy in Bangkok will be the one's dealing with the Thai police. Having heard of the nightmare of dealing with the FCO and the Embassy in the cases of UK citizens murdered in Thaialnd, nothing will surprise me. The Foreign Office will not do anything that may in some way offend the Thai authorities and there is little consideration to the vistims families - they must stick by their proceedures and if that means not helping the victims so be it. Recently when the father and sister of Toby Charnaud flew to Thailand after his murder, the embassy were too busy to pick them up from the airport and help them. I would be surprised if this went anywhere and it is so tragic for the family of Kirsty Jones who want answers. Word of caution - if you are in trouble in Thailand do not put the Embassy at the top of your list for help - anyway, they will probably be closed due to taking both Thai and UK public holidays.