Caroline murder suspect considers extradition appeal

The man accused of murdering British schoolgirl Caroline Dickinson is considering an appeal against his extradition from the US to face trial in France.

Francisco Arce Montez, 51, is accused of raping and suffocating the 13-year-old from Launceston, Cornwall, in July 1996 on a school trip to France.

He has been told he would be sent to France after he faced trial in Miami, Florida, on charges of breaking into a woman's house and committing a lewd act on July 2.

A spokeswoman for the US district attorney in Miami said: "The court ruled that he is extraditable. This means that he will be sent to France for trial."

Prosecutor Louis Perez said US Judge Stephen Brown had made the ruling after an hour-long hearing at which Montez's lawyer, Bill Compo, opposed his extradition.

Mr Perez said: "The judge ruled directly from the bench. He also denied a motion put forward by the defence to delay the extradition."

He added that he can appeal against the ruling by filing a special writ known as habeas corpus.

The full appeals process could take up to two years if Montez is given permission to appeal at each stage.

It was the Spanish fugitive's arrest in Miami earlier this year which led to his extradition.

An illegal immigrant to the US, his name was seen on an immigration department bulletin by an alert immigration officer who, while on holiday in Britain, remembered seeing a newspaper story about Caroline's death which named Montez as the prime suspect.