Inga Maria Hauser murder anniversary: ‘Holding information must play on people’s conscience’

People who are withholding information on the murder of a teenage German backpaker in Co Antrim in 1988 have been urged to come forward and get it off their concience.

Wednesday marks the 34th anniversary of the savage murder of Inga Maria Hauser. The 18-year old German student was found in Ballypatrick Forest, Ballycastle two weeks after she had been seen on a ferry from Stranraer to Larne.

Police believe she died shortly after she arrived in Northern Ireland and that she was subjected to a vicious and ruthless assault.

In July last year, the Public Prosecution Service decided not to take proceedings against two people about whom police had submitted a file of evidence.

Ahead of the anniversary, a fresh appeal for information regarding the murder has been made by the family’s lawyer, Claire McKeegan, and SDLP councillor, Helena Dallat O‘Driscoll, daughter of the late John Dallat, former Northern Ireland Assembly Deputy Speaker and MLA, who worked tirelessly so that the case was not forgotten.

Councillor Dallat O‘Driscoll said: “The Hauser family has suffered non-stop heartache for over thirty years. Inga Maria was a much loved, talented young woman with a thirst to learn about other cultures and languages when she arrived on our shores in the late eighties. She deserved so much better than to be so brutally taken from her family and friends and left face down in Ballypatrick Forest. People want to see a conclusion to this callous, savage killing.

“I am calling on those who know anything about this murder to share the information they have with the PSNI. I appeal directly to those people to give their account of what they know about what happened on the night of April 6, 1988 when Inga Maria Hauser didn’t take the train from Larne to Belfast as planned.”

She added: “There are people with vital information that could lead to her murderer being prosecuted. Those involved in this heinous crime must be brought to justice.”

The Hauser family lawyer, Claire McKeegan, Phoenix Law, said: “We are seeking a full inquest to examine this case at long last, something this family have been denied to date. Since the recent documentary we have been contacted and received information and would continue to encourage those who know the details of what happened to come forward in confidence.”

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell said his thoughts are with Inga Maria’s sister and loved ones as we approach the anniversary of her murder.

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we remain committed to bringing her murderers to justice,” he said.

“Those responsible, or withholding information, must surely have a heavy conscience. I am asking you to imagine, for just one minute, the heartache and questions that torment Inga Maria’s family, no doubt each and every day. Please do the right thing and come forward.

“I would appeal to anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to get in touch. You can contact detectives on 101. Information can also be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers  0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Glens UUP Alderman Joan Baird told the News Letter: “It was an atrocious thing to happen on our doorstep. I was away at the time but I remember my parents in particular were very upset about it. That poor girl had come all the way here just to have a nice holiday.”

She suggests that whoever could do such a thing may well be known to police for other matters.

“You would think that whoever did it, it might not be a one off, that they may not have lived a blameless life,” she said.

While initially police made extensive enquiries in the area about anyone that would have seen her in cafes or hotels, there were never any sightings of her along the coast, she said.

This lends strength to the idea that she may have been “preyed” on by her killer(s) either on the boat or soon after getting off it, she says.

At the early stages of the investigation, police thought Inga had travelled around for a week or two before being murdered, she said.

“But now it seems that there was something in the forensic report that now points to the fact that she was murdered quite quickly after leaving the boat.”

“Somebody was covering their tracks after this. There is bound to be some other person or persons who would have some suspicions even about what has happened. It is on their conscience if they don’t come forward - they are really an accessory to murder.”

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