Ben's still missing

[Carana]

Ben is, or would be, 25 today. He's still missing.

Ben, if you're out there, do you have unanswered questions about your past? Any doubts about your origins?

[Cath]

Interview with Ben's mother:

http://www.closeronline.co.uk/2014/10/e ... FDPZJOG-vJ

[scoobydoo]

Whilst the Madeleine case is swamped by myths this case is lacking a lot of solid information. What searches were done for instance, what was the surrounding area like?

[Carana]

There's always a chance that he might be alive, and grew up with a different family. There's no evidence that he's dead.

Dead or alive, someone, somewhere, might remember a little boy from around the time of his disappearance.

Someone could clean out a relative's cellar / attic and find something potentially relevant. If people aren't reminded that this little boy disappeared, no one would think twice at what may be photos, for example, dating back to around that time.

A UK team did go out to work with the Greek police to check whether he could have had an accident and been buried under building rubble near where he disappeared, but that turned out to be negative.

[Carana]

A few official pages for him:


Official website:-
http://www.helpfindben.co.uk/

Official Twitter account:-
https://twitter.com/FindBenNeedham

Official FB page:-
https://www.facebook.com/helpfindben

[scoobydoo]

Whilst I do think there is a big chance Ben wandered off, perhaps trying to follow his uncle after he saw him leave, and met with an accident some distance away, there is still hope and if his disappearance is not publicised then he doesn't stand a chance of being found.

[Carana]

And if you are able to watch, Ben, or if you are someone who knows him, he had two birthmarks:

http://www.helpfindben.co.uk/birthmarks.html

[Jayelles]

Ben has a birthmark above his knee which may look like this:-



He also has or had (it may have disappeared over time) a small "strawberry" mark on the nape of his neck like this:-

[Jayelles]

When a child goes missing, it isn't just the parents who hurt. The grandparents of missing children go through trauma too.

Baby Ben Needham was born into a very loving family. Although his parents were no longer a couple, he had two sets of grandparents who were loving and supportive of him and his mum.

Kerry speaks highly of Ben's paternal grandparents saying that they were very practical and thoughtful and instead of showering their new grandson with toys and games, they brought practical gifts such as several months worth of nappies as well as formula milk and baby toiletries.

She says:-

Ben was blessed with four of the best grandparents a child could wish for.

[Jayelles]

Ben loved animals and would often point to birds, cats and dogs when he was taken out in his pushchair. His first bedroom was decorated with little pictures of wildlife and jungle animals. Even his bedding had animals on it and he was often seen to be mesmerised by these.

[Jayelles]

Ben's first word was "Mum", but soon he could say "Cat", "dog", "toast", "bott" (for bottle), "bick-bick" (biscuit) and "Dada".

He was a very loving little boy who gave people great welcomes when he saw them. Kerry said that it was almost worth going out just to get that massive welcome when she returned.

Happy times

[Jayelles]

He was a little star in the making...

Devoted Mum Kerry's words to describe Ben's joy at being centre of attention on his first birthday. Although he had been showered with presents, he was most of all delighted with the attention he got from his loving family.

Not yet walking, he would pill himself up against the furniture and bounce around to the music on the radio.

With Grampa

[Jayelles]

Ben's Second Christmas

By Christmas 1990, Ben was walking (he loved going barefoot) and he was proving a natural little comic - doing a repertoire of "impressions" to amuse his family. He still loved his animals and Santa brought him some farm animals and dinky cars. The farm animals were his favourite though and as he played with them, he provided all the sound effects.

[Jayelles]

" A contented little chap"

This is how Ben's mum Kerry described her son. When they set off, just the two of them, to join Kerry's family in Kos, Kerry was terrified. She had never flown before let alone on her own with a young child. Ben kept her mind off the ordeal and as they walked hand in hand through Gatwick Airport, he clutched a favourite toy animal and exclaimed "Pretty" at the shops.

On Uncle Stephen's motorbike

[Jayelles]

On the morning of the 24th July, 1991 Kerry and Ben had a slightly disorganised start to the day. Ben had first overslept, then had rather delightfully insisted on saying hello to every cricket, butterfly, cat and cow on the way to his grandparents who were childminding.

When they arrived at Kerry's parents' place, Ben got stuck into a boiled egg and soldiers whilst Kerry had a coffee and a chat with her Mum. When at last she tore herself away to go to work, little Ben had an eggy face.

It was the last time she saw her son.

[Jayelles]

Old reconstruction:-

[Jayelles]

Now Ben has a sister and a little niece. Leighanna has vowed to continue the search for her brother:-

[scoobydoo]

I hope they found him, I can't imagine not knowing.

If as British adult commits a crime against a child whilst abroad the British cash investigate and prosecute, yet if a British child is the victim of a crime abroad they say their hands are tied and the families have to go to the media and beg like performing monkeys.

There needs to be a law that means all crimes against or disappeances of British children can be investigated by British police.

[Truthiness2]

Bumping (just for those who are rewriting history)

We clearly want Ben found. No right-minded person wouldn't.

I personally spent time on my last holiday to Kos leaving flyers about him, and keeping alert for anyone that resembled him. That's what normal people do.

[sal]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/co ... il-6729382

[Rob1]

There are currently seven British officers searching for Kerry Needham’s missing son .

For the first time the investigation into Ben’s disappearance has more officers than the hunt for Madeleine McCann who was three years old when she vanished from the family’s holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007.

It will be fantastic if they get conclusion on Ben's case.

[Pedro]

big true: "There needs to be a law that means all crimes against or disappeances of British children can be investigated by British police.", but the same shoud also happen about missing PT children who deserves to be properly investigated through PT authorities with a competent investigation which is what to expect from any authorities involved in this type of investigation.

[sal]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fr ... am-7556744

[Whiterose]

Thanks sal

Good news

[Hael]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fr ... am-7556744

Good news. Lets hope they are able to find some answers.