The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has been urged to take a more “proactive” role in the case of a Belfast man who went missing in Spain amid concerns that suspects linked to his disappearance are from Northern Ireland.
John George (37) was last in contact with his family on December 14th while holidaying in the south of the country.
The father of two missed a flight home the week before Christmas and his father, Billy George, has said he believes he was murdered.
Mr George travelled to Spain with other relatives on December 21st to begin a search for him in Alicante, where his son was last seen. Dozens of other family members and friends have since travelled to the region, while a Northern Ireland voluntary search and rescue team arrived on New Year’s Day following a fundraising campaign.
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Speaking to The Irish Times from Spain on Friday, Billy George expressed his frustration at the lack of information they had received from detectives investigating the disappearance of his son.
“I visited the police station this morning and I’m at the same stage as the first day I came here – I know nothing,” he said.
“I’ve been told nothing, my wife’s in bits. It is horrendous what we’ve come through. I had an interpreter for the first time today and the police told me to ‘just let them do their job’.”
Earlier this week the PSNI issued a statement saying it was “liaising closely with the missing man’s family and other law enforcement agencies”.
“While the investigation must be progressed by Spanish police, the Police Service of Northern Ireland have made an offer of assistance to police in Spain and will assist with any local inquiries as requested by them,” it said.
Asked what assistance he had received from the PSNI to date, Mr George said on Friday: “Not a thing. When I ring the PSNI, they tell me it’s a different jurisdiction and they can do nothing.”
Family solicitor Kevin Winter has called on the PSNI to “upscale” its role.
“I’ve written to the PSNI and I would urge them to take a more proactive role,” he said.
“We accept entirely this is extra-jurisdictional for the PSNI. However, there is a need for a greater than usual interest given that at least three people of interest to this investigation are resident from here in the North.
“So there ought to be a greater than usual engagement than would ordinarily be the case.”
Mr George said he was trying to source a Spanish legal team.
“The police have still not told me if they are treating this as a criminal or murder investigation,” he added. “My son would have rang me five to six times a days. I know he is dead.”
The PSNI declined to provide any additional response in relation to concerns raised by the family’s solicitor.
Spanish police have been contacted for comment.
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