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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/24/alice-gross-latvia-arnis-zalkalns-met-police-no-european-arrest-warrant
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| Alice Gross: Latvia could not detain suspect as no arrest warrant issued | Alice Gross: Latvia could not detain suspect as no arrest warrant issued |
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| Officials in Latvia have said they would not be able to detain the convicted murderer Arnis Zalkalns, named by British police as a suspect in the disappearance of Alice Gross, if he was found in their country because no arrest warrant had been issued. | Officials in Latvia have said they would not be able to detain the convicted murderer Arnis Zalkalns, named by British police as a suspect in the disappearance of Alice Gross, if he was found in their country because no arrest warrant had been issued. |
| The Metropolitan police have been trying to find Alice, 14, who went missing 28 days ago in west London and their investigation has come under scrutiny. | The Metropolitan police have been trying to find Alice, 14, who went missing 28 days ago in west London and their investigation has come under scrutiny. |
| Police have named Latvian national Arnis Zalkalns as a suspect and announced he had a conviction for murdering his wife in Latvia. | Police have named Latvian national Arnis Zalkalns as a suspect and announced he had a conviction for murdering his wife in Latvia. |
| Zalkalns was last seen on 3 September, one week after Alice disappeared. Detectives believe he could have had contact with the teenager on the day she went missing. | Zalkalns was last seen on 3 September, one week after Alice disappeared. Detectives believe he could have had contact with the teenager on the day she went missing. |
| Toms Sadovskis, a spokesperson for the Latvian state police, said if Zalkalns were to turn up in Latvia, he could not be detained as no official request had been received from British police. The procedure for this is a European arrest warrant. | Toms Sadovskis, a spokesperson for the Latvian state police, said if Zalkalns were to turn up in Latvia, he could not be detained as no official request had been received from British police. The procedure for this is a European arrest warrant. |
| Sadovskis said: “If there was a European arrest warrant then he would be arrested.” | Sadovskis said: “If there was a European arrest warrant then he would be arrested.” |
| He added there was no evidence Zalkalns was in Latvia or had tried to enter the country, where he has family. | He added there was no evidence Zalkalns was in Latvia or had tried to enter the country, where he has family. |
| The Met says it does not have sufficient evidence against Zalkalns to meet the threshold to get a European arrest warrant. While detectives have suspicions about him, they have no evidence that he committed an offence. | The Met says it does not have sufficient evidence against Zalkalns to meet the threshold to get a European arrest warrant. While detectives have suspicions about him, they have no evidence that he committed an offence. |
| If the Met police wished to seek a European arrest warrant they would have to approach the Crown Prosecution Service(CPS), which would handle the request with its Latvian counterparts. | If the Met police wished to seek a European arrest warrant they would have to approach the Crown Prosecution Service(CPS), which would handle the request with its Latvian counterparts. |
| Met commander Graham McNulty said: ”I would like to address some of the misunderstanding and confusion surrounding European arrest warrants (EAW). To obtain an EAW police must seek the authority of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to charge the suspect or suspects with an offence. | |
| “The offence must meet one of the tests laid down in the code for crown prosecutors. If one of the tests is met the decision to charge is made by the CPS and the police can then lay the information (the charge) at a magistrates court. It is after these steps have been followed that an EAW can be applied for. We have not sought that authorisation.” | |
| McNulty added: “I stress, there is no evidence that Alice has come to harm, but we are clearly very concerned for her welfare. I would urge everyone to be cautious about speculating on the exact involvement of Arnis Zalkalns, or any other individual, in relation to this investigation. | |
| “It was a highly unusual step to name a suspect, and provide information about his previous arrest and conviction. This decision was not made lightly, and was based upon public safety, seeking the public’s help to find him, and most importantly to find Alice.” | |
| On Tuesday, Scotland Yard announced two reviews of its investigation to find Alice Gross, and its officers arrived in Latvia to step up the hunt for Zalkalns. | On Tuesday, Scotland Yard announced two reviews of its investigation to find Alice Gross, and its officers arrived in Latvia to step up the hunt for Zalkalns. |
| One review will look at the early part of the investigation after Alice went missing on 28 August and Zalkalns went missing one week later. The Met would not say why this review was thought to be necessary. | One review will look at the early part of the investigation after Alice went missing on 28 August and Zalkalns went missing one week later. The Met would not say why this review was thought to be necessary. |
| The Met also appeared to rebut criticism that it had been too slow to ask for help from police in Latvia,. It said it had approached Latvian police for help on 11 September, a week before it publicly announced Zalkalns was a suspect. | The Met also appeared to rebut criticism that it had been too slow to ask for help from police in Latvia,. It said it had approached Latvian police for help on 11 September, a week before it publicly announced Zalkalns was a suspect. |
| Some questioned whether the Met had waited too long before sending a formal request for help on 19 September. Latvian police confirmed they had been assisting the Met inquiry for nearly a fortnight. | Some questioned whether the Met had waited too long before sending a formal request for help on 19 September. Latvian police confirmed they had been assisting the Met inquiry for nearly a fortnight. |
| Alice, 14, went missing after going for a walk by a canal in west London on 28 August. CCTV shows Zalkalns riding a bicycle 15 minutes later past the same spot. Police believe he would have encountered her. | Alice, 14, went missing after going for a walk by a canal in west London on 28 August. CCTV shows Zalkalns riding a bicycle 15 minutes later past the same spot. Police believe he would have encountered her. |
| Zalkalns, 41, served a seven-year prison sentence in his native Latvia, where he was jailed in 1998. In 2009, he was arrested over an alleged indecent assault on a teenage girl in the Ealing area, but the case was dropped. | Zalkalns, 41, served a seven-year prison sentence in his native Latvia, where he was jailed in 1998. In 2009, he was arrested over an alleged indecent assault on a teenage girl in the Ealing area, but the case was dropped. |
| After Alice’s parents reported her missing, the investigation was handled by local officers who took advice from the Met’s homicide and major crime command. Five days later the major crime command had taken over the investigation. Police stress there is still no evidence that she has come to any harm. | After Alice’s parents reported her missing, the investigation was handled by local officers who took advice from the Met’s homicide and major crime command. Five days later the major crime command had taken over the investigation. Police stress there is still no evidence that she has come to any harm. |
| On Thursday, police will mark four weeks since Alice’s disappearance by carrying out a high-profile reconstruction. | On Thursday, police will mark four weeks since Alice’s disappearance by carrying out a high-profile reconstruction. |