For the past 10 years, the family of Martine Vik Magnussen have been on a pursuit for justice in her death.
Magnussen, a 23 year-old student at Regent’s Business School in London had tragically died in 2008 due to a “sex accident gone wrong”. The suspect in the crime, Farouk Abdulhak, recently admitted his involvement in thousands of texts and hundreds of voice notes, per BBC News Arabic special correspondent, Nawal Al-Maghafi.
This change in perspective has been a game changer for the victim’s family and those close to the investigation.
A Coroner’s report on the incident detailed the violent and brutal nature of Magnussen’s death. It was reported that her body contained 43 cuts and grazes and that she died of compressive forces to the neck, possibly caused by strangling, being held down, or smothered.
Her father, Odd Petter Magnussen, spoke out to Daily Mail, keenly remarking, “He’s no longer a suspect- he’s now a killer. That changes the whole perspective in Yemen from a political point of view and with regards to his family, who may now be able to put more pressure on him.”
Just a night before her murder, Magnussen and Abdulhak celebrated the end of exams together at Maddox nightclub in the Mayfair section of London. Security camera footage shows them departing, just before 3:00am. After just two short days, Magnussen’s body was found beneath rubble in a basement off Great Portland Street. Abdulhak had fled to Cairo, seeking refuge on his father’s private jet in Yemen.
Though the United Kingdom does not have an extradition treaty with Yemen, Odd Peter Magnussen has been in contact with both the legally elected government and the Houthi movement who controls the area Abdulhak is residing. He believes that a solution could be found within a year.
The confirmation of Farouk Abdulhak’s involvement in the 2008 Murder and Sexual assault of Martine Vik Magnussen was a game changer for her family and friends. With the evaluation of security camera footage and other evidence, her family can now begin to pursue closure and see that justice is served for their beloved daughter.