Yiannoulla Yianni: Man arrested over rape and murder of teenage girl in Hampstead 30 years ago

A man has been arrested for the rape and murder of a teenage girl which took place in Hampstead in the 1980s.

A murder inquiry was launched by the Met in 1982, after the parents of 17-year old Yiannoulla Yianni, found their daughter’s body at their family home in Belsize Road in Hampstead.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command arrested a 56-year old man on Tuesday at an address in Golders Green on suspicion of rape and murder.

The arrest follows a match being made on the National DNA Database.

The teenager was last seen by her mother as she returned home to prepare dinner. Her parents found Yiannoulla's body when they returned from work later that day.

Since her murder the Met have made a number of local and national appeals as well as offering a significant financial reward for information. Over 1,000 witness statements have been taken and developing forensic techniques explored but despite these extensive enquiries no arrests were made.

Detective Inspector Julie Willats, of the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said:

“The Met never close unsolved murders and regardless of the passage of time cases can and will be reviewed, for any new opportunities to develop previously unknown lines of enquiry, and follow-up any fresh information which has become known to us.

"Yiannoulla's family - who understandably are still devastated by the loss of their beloved daughter and sister more than three decades ago - have been fully informed of this new development.”

The man arrested remains in police custody at a north London police station at this time.

Yiannoulla’s family have been informed of this development.