Missing British toddler Ben Needham’s mum, Kerry, has set up a GoFundMe page after South Yorkshire Police told her it will no longer be investigating her son’s case
The mum of missing Ben Needham has launched an appeal to raise funds to pay for a private investigator to follow new leads about the toddler’s disappearance.
Kerry Needham has set up a GoFundMe page after South Yorkshire Police told her it will no longer be investigating the case. Instead, the Greek police will be in charge of probing the disappearance of Ben, aged 21 months, in 1991.
Launching the fund, which hopes to raise £10,000, Kerry said: “For more than 30 years, I have lived every parent’s worst nightmare – not knowing what happened to my little boy. Ben went missing in 1991 on the island of Kos, and not a single day has passed where I haven’t thought about him, searched for him, and hoped that somehow, somewhere, he is still out there.”
She said: “Now, we have many new leads – leads that suggest Ben may have been taken and illegally adopted in the early 1990s.
“For the first time in a long time, I feel a real sense of hope… but I cannot follow this path alone and with the latest news of UK Police stepping back from Ben’s case I have decided to take the next step and hire my own personal investigator.”
Kerry said the new leads need to be investigated properly, saying: “This means I need to raise funds for possible travel to other countries, working with legal experts, investigators, and carrying out essential DNA testing – whatever it takes to find the truth about what happened to my son.
“As a mum, I have never given up on Ben. I never will. But I need your help now more than ever to keep this search going.”
She added: “Every donation, no matter how small, helps us get closer to answers. And if you can’t donate, please share Ben’s story – you never know who might hold the missing piece.
“Please help me bring my son home, or finally understand what happened to him. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
South Yorkshire Police has said: “We remain ready to support Greek authorities should any new evidence come to light, and remain committed to supporting Kerry. However after 35 years, we must ensure all of the appropriate routes are in place and remain fit for purpose. If someone comes forward with information in England, we will share this with Greece via Interpol.”
Kerry believes her son may have been taken to the USA. She recently released an age progression image of her son showing what he may look like now. Recent information received suggests he may have been trafficked to the New York area and she believes the photo could hold the key to finding him.
She said: “We need to move on from sharing baby pictures. We’re looking for a man. Ben could look like this age progression picture. I want to appeal to people in America to study it. We are getting info from America and looking at child trafficking. We need that age progression image to be seen there.
“There’s probably more of a chance of Ben being in America through child trafficking than being in Greece.”
Despite one of the longest missing person investigations in British history – including two excavations at the farmhouse where he was last seen – Ben’s whereabouts remain unknown. South Yorkshire Police had feared Ben was killed in a digger accident but despite intensive searches, no evidence was found.
You can donate to the GoFundMe here
