June retrial for Caroline killer

A new lawyer has been appointed for Arce Montes

The man convicted of raping and murdering Cornish schoolgirl Caroline Dickinson will have his appeal heard in France in June.

Spaniard Francisco Arce Montes will face a retrial in St Brieuc in June, just over a year after the original hearing took place in Rennes.

Montes, 54, was found guilty of raping and murdering 13-year-old Caroline Dickinson and sentenced to 30 years.

If he loses his appeal, he could be given a longer sentence.

Caroline Dickinson was on a school trip to Brittany in 1996 when Arce Montes attacked her as she slept in hostel dormitory in the village of Pleine Fougeres.

Family disappointed

She was among 41 youngsters from Launceston Community College on an activity holiday.

Under French law, Arce Montes' decision to appeal against his conviction entitles him to a full retrial. The hearing has been set for 21 June in St Brieuc.

The lawyers who represented him last time have declined to do so again and Arce Montes has a new lawyer appointed by the Appeal Court.

The lawyer told BBC News that the judge recently visited Arce Montes in jail asking him to reconsider his decision to appeal and warning that if found guilty again he could be given a harsher sentence.

But Arce Montes is said to have told the judge he intends to continue with the appeal.

Caroline's family said they were disappointed but planned to be at the hearing.