A man has been charged with the murder of missing five-year-old April Jones.
Mark Bridger, 46, was arrested the day after April went missing from near her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales, on Monday evening.
He has also been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and child abduction.
Mr Bridger is due before magistrates in Aberystwyth on Monday. Dyfed-Powys Police said they remained "focused and committed" to
finding April.
Ten specialist teams have been conducting a "systematic and methodical" search from daybreak on Saturday, police said.
At a press conference at Aberystwyth on Saturday afternoon, Iwan Jenkins, District Crown Prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution
Service said he had been in "close contact" with the police.
"In particular, we have been offering advice and guidance to the police since the suspect Mark Bridger was arrested last Tuesday," he
said.
He said a "detailed review of the evidence gathered so far by Dyfed-Powys Police" led him to his decision that there was "sufficient
evidence to charge Mark Bridger with the murder of April Jones, and that it is in the public interest to do so".
"I have also concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge the defendant with attempting to pervert the course of justice and child
abduction," he added.
"Accordingly, I have authorised Dyfed Powys Police to charge him with these offences and he will appear before Aberystwyth
Magistrates' Court on Monday morning."
He added: "The huge public and media interest in this case is understandable.
"I would just like to stress that, whilst Mark Bridger stands accused of serious criminal charges, he retains the right to a fair trial.
"I would therefore ask that nothing is placed in the public domain that may undermine the criminal justice process."
6 окт 2024
