The 56-year-old suspect in the investigation into the murders of an Irish-resident father and daughter at the Reykjavik Edition hotel in Iceland will be detained for another four weeks, according to Reykjavik Metropolitan Police.
The victims and suspect were all living in Ireland before they travelled to Iceland for a week in early June.
It is understood that they were a French family who had been living in Ireland for about 10 years. Icelandic police have not named the family.
Last Wednesday the suspect’s custody hold was extended for a further four weeks, until September 24th, at a hearing at Reykjavik district court.
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In Iceland, suspects can be held and questioned for up to 12 weeks. This time limit has now been passed.
According to Icelandic law, this custody time can be extended beyond 12 weeks, under exceptional circumstances. This extension was accepted by the judge at the district court in Reykjavik on Wednesday.
It is understood that the woman has appealed this decision to extend her detention beyond the usual 12 weeks.
Since the extension was granted on Wednesday, a lawyer representing the suspect has taken the case to Iceland’s court of appeal, where it will soon be assessed. As yet, no decision has been made.
Once the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police have completed their investigation, and if the suspect is charged, the case will go to the district prosecutor and will be taken to court.
Reykjavik Metropolitan Police have also confirmed that the suspect asked to attend the funerals of her family members, a request which was initially denied by police.
Lawyers for the suspect appealed this decision at the Reykjavik district court. Her bid was accepted and she attended their funerals in the Reykjavik Capital Region.
According to a report by Icelandic broadcaster RÚV, the woman had stated that the family had been very close, and that she wanted to say goodbye to her husband and daughter.
The report also adds that family members abroad were aware of her attendance at the funerals, and did not object.
The family travelled to Reykjavik from Dublin in early June, staying at the upmarket Reykjavik Edition hotel in the city’s harbour area.
About a week later, on the morning of the June 14th, the bodies of a father (58) and daughter (30) were found in the hotel.
The suspect was also found with stab wounds. She was arrested and has been detained in both hospital and prison since then.
The identities of the victims or the suspect have not been released – in keeping with a policing policy in the Nordic country whereby victims of crime, as well as those arrested or in custody, are never named by police.
Iceland’s close-knit society, low crime rate and small population have historically meant that news of this nature travels within the community.
