Man charged in 1990 murder case

Detectives charged a man with the murder of Geraldine Palk yesterday, more than a decade after she was stabbed to death, police said.

A 34-year-old man arrested by South Wales Police on Friday morning has been formally charged with her murder.

Detectives questioned the man for more than two days, having been granted an extra 24 hours by magistrates, at Fairwater police station in Cardiff before bringing the charge.

The man, who is from Taff's Well, near Cardiff, will appear at Cardiff magistrates' court today.

The near-naked body of 26-year-old Ms Palk was found in a stream in Fairwater, just yards from her home, days before Christmas 1990. She had been raped and her body carried the marks of 81 separate stab wounds.

The breakthrough in the decade-long murder hunt came as a result of new evidence made possible by the increasing size of the police DNA databank and the ability to use small samples in unsolved cases.

Neil Palk, the victim's brother, said that the family were still struggling to come to terms with the manner of her death.

"Our family have been informed by the South Wales Police that a man has been charged with the murder of our sister Geraldine," he said.

"It has been a harrowing time for us all and we are still struggling to come to terms with these latest events.

"We would like to thank the media for their co-operation so far and ask that they continue to respect our wishes for privacy."