Sven-Erik Berger and his fiancee Karen Castro Esdrelon now have seven days to prove their innocence.
”It was as expected and this is getting really uncomfortable. This should never end in a charge. We have pictures that prove that we were not at the crime scene. The police have not investigated this matter thoroughly. As far as I know, they have not made the trip to the Norwegian school or hotel where we stayed in Cebu City”, Berger says to VG Nett.
The Norwegian has previously testified that he and his fiancee stayed in Cebu City at the time the six year old Ellah was kidnapped.
Cebu City is an hour’s drive away from the place where six year-old girl was kidnapped.
Fear of imprisonment
Since Berger and his fiancee were detained at the international airport in Cebu late Friday night, they stayed in an office at Police Headquarters in Cebu City.
Now with a formal charges the couple can be sent to an ordinary prison in the Philippines.
”Alleged child killers are not exactly popular in prison”, said Berger on the way to the hearing.
Large Case
The Defense, Salvador Solimar, has asked not to send couple to a regular prison.
”I have requested that they still will be in the custody of police”, he says to VG Nett.
The legal meeting was held in the Prosecution Office in Cebu. The case has attracted a lot of interest from both local and Norwegian press.
Kidnapped and killed
Six years old Ellah to have been lured into a black Mitsubishi Pajero Tuesday a week ago.
The body of six year old were found more than 40 kilometers from the place where the girl was kidnapped.
