Northern Ireland

Inga Maria Hauser: Memorial unveiled to murdered backpacker

A memorial was unveiled to murdered German backpacker Inga Maria Hauser near the spot where her body was discovered in Ballypatrick Forest, Co Antrim, in 1988. Picture by Arthur Allison, Pacemaker
A memorial was unveiled to murdered German backpacker Inga Maria Hauser near the spot where her body was discovered in Ballypatrick Forest, Co Antrim, in 1988. Picture by Arthur Allison, Pacemaker A memorial was unveiled to murdered German backpacker Inga Maria Hauser near the spot where her body was discovered in Ballypatrick Forest, Co Antrim, in 1988. Picture by Arthur Allison, Pacemaker

A MEMORIAL has been unveiled in the Co Antrim forest where the body of a murdered German backpacker was found 30 years ago.

Munich teenager Inga Maria Hauser was last seen getting off a ferry in Larne.

The 18-year-old's body was discovered two weeks later - on April 20 1988 - in a remote part of Ballypatrick forest on the outskirts of Ballycastle.

A memorial stone was unveiled in the forest yesterday during an event to remember the teenager.

No one has ever been convicted of Ms Hauser's murder.

Police are holding a two-week awareness campaign in a bid to secure the final pieces of evidence.

PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray has warned those responsible he only needs a few pieces of evidence to bring them to justice.

Soon after the murder, a man in a rural area east of Ballymoney, Co Antrim, was seen with scratches on his face, sparking concern in the community that he was involved.

Detectives have travelled to Scotland in an attempt to piece together Ms Hauser's final movements.

Investigators believe that communities in Scotland may hold vital information about Ms Hauser's movements during her two-day visit before she embarked on the Stranraer to Larne ferry.

A team of detectives yesterday handed out leaflets to passengers on board and spoke to those waiting in terminals at Belfast and Cairnryan.