The family of a Kenyan woman allegedly murdered by a British soldier have told Sky News they are “very happy” that extradition proceedings against him have begun.
Robert James Purkiss, 38, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday amid efforts by Kenyan prosecutors to bring him to Africa for a trial.
He is accused of murdering 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru in the town of Nanyuki, Kenya, in 2012. Her body was found in a septic tank two months after she went missing.
A post-mortem examination identified a 2cm stab wound to the lower abdomen and a collapsed lung.
The court heard on Friday that Purkiss allegedly confessed to the killing, telling a colleague that “it was sex that went wrong”.
However, his lawyer, David Josse KC, said the former soldier “vehemently” denied the charge and he did not consent to extradition.
Esther Njoki, who is Ms Wanjiru’s niece and a spokesperson for the family, said they were “very happy” that proceedings had got under way.
Ms Njoki told Sky News correspondent Charlotte Leeming: “I don’t think at any time we have ever thought that he would ever get arrested. But seeing that things now are changing, we are very happy.”
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At Friday’s hearing, Purkiss was remanded in custody and will appear in court again on 14 November as the proceedings continue.
Ms Njoki told Sky News it had been a “long journey” to get to this point and that sometimes the family had felt like giving up.
But she added: “Seeing Agnes’ daughter, who survived her, we had to take up that fight and to fight for her…
“I’m not doing this just for Agnes, but even for other generations to come.”
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Ms Njoki described her maternal aunt as “lively” and “an extrovert,” adding: “We always miss her presence here, because we knew that when she was around, you’re safe, and also she used to take care of us. That is the reason why I took up this role, because she took care of me.”
She vowed to continue fighting for justice, saying: “This is just the beginning of the long process that is ahead of us…
“We have waited for far too long, 13 years, and we don’t know how long the extradition process may take.”
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Ms Njoki added: “As a family, we are still grieving, especially because of the frustrations that we get, that’s what makes us feel sad and even grieve more, because we are here to get peace.
“Because as long as justice has not been served, there’s no peace.”
