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| Milly Dowler torment revealed by family | Milly Dowler torment revealed by family |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Harrowing details of Milly Dowler's final hours as she was raped and murdered by Levi Bellfield have emerged in a statement from her family. | Harrowing details of Milly Dowler's final hours as she was raped and murdered by Levi Bellfield have emerged in a statement from her family. |
| The Dowlers revealed they were made aware of the extent of the 13-year-old's suffering in May last year but were obliged to remain silent for eight months while investigations continued. | The Dowlers revealed they were made aware of the extent of the 13-year-old's suffering in May last year but were obliged to remain silent for eight months while investigations continued. |
| In the statement, they said they hoped the teenager was now at peace. | |
| Bellfield gave details of Milly's 14-hour ordeal to police last year. | Bellfield gave details of Milly's 14-hour ordeal to police last year. |
| 'True heinousness' | |
| Last month, Surrey Police said serial killer Bellfield had admitted the schoolgirl's abduction, rape and killing for the first time. | Last month, Surrey Police said serial killer Bellfield had admitted the schoolgirl's abduction, rape and killing for the first time. |
| The family said they were issuing the statement because they believed what had been revealed so far did not reflect Bellfield's "true heinousness". | |
| They said Bellfield abducted Milly and assaulted her near Walton station. | |
| He then drove her to his mother's house and raped her. | |
| After this the killer took Milly to another location where her rape and torture continued, until he strangled her the following day. | |
| The family also revealed that when Bellfield asked to speak to police about the crime he said he would only speak to female police officers. | |
| Bellfield was given a whole-life prison sentence in June 2011 for the murder. | |
| He was already in jail for the murders of Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19, and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy, 18, when he went on trial accused of killing Milly. | |
| The Dowlers said police shared the details of Milly's ordeal with them last May because the information could have become public - Bellfield had talked to another inmate who was due to be released. | |
| A few days after the family heard what happened to Milly, they said they then heard from Surrey Police that reports of an alleged accomplice were being investigated. | |
| They said hearing about Milly's final hours was shocking enough, but the news that another person could have been involved was devastating. | |
| 'Unimaginable pressure' | |
| The family said they had to remain silent for eight months, but when police finally arrested the suspected accomplice, the person was questioned and released in less than 10 hours. | |
| The Dowlers said they were left under "unimaginable" pressure and had "had to fight every step of the way". | |
| Their desperation led to a meeting with Home Secretary Theresa May last November. | |
| The statement ended: "Now we know the final hours of Milly's life, perhaps her soul, at long last, can finally rest in peace. | |
| "The general public have always played a huge part in supporting us, for which we are eternally grateful and thankful. | |
| "We believe that they should know what Bellfield did to our beautiful daughter and sister Milly." |