It has been confirmed that a body found in a mountainous area just outside Canillas de Aceituno yesterday morning is that of 15 year old Manuel Marín Hidalgo, who went missing two weeks ago.

The body was found during an organised search involving around 75 people, including volunteers.

Owing to the difficult terrain, it took nearly four hours for a Guardia Civil mountain rescue team to recover the body though it was not finally necessary to deploy the helicopter that had been standing by.

Manuel's body was taken to an emergency field hospital set up at a local football ground, where it was formally identified before being taken to Málaga for autopsy.

Manuel was last seen on the afternoon of March 31st when he told a friend that he was not going to go to football training.

Guardia Civil investigators say that they are not ruling out any possibilities at this stage of their inquiry.

Missing teen's father admits abduction fears
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, April 8, 2008

The father of 15 year old Manuel Marín Hidalgo, who went missing from his home in Canillas de Aceituno (Málaga) last week, fears that his son "might have put his trust in someone" and believes that he may now be being held against his will.

In a press interview yesterday, Manuel's father revealed that the last time anyone saw his son was on the evening of his disappearance, when he told a friend that he wasn't going to go to football training.

Manuel was last seen wearing a dark pair of trousers, a blue and yellow-striped T-shirt and a dark jacket, and is not thought to have had either cash nor a mobile phone, although he did take a set of house keys with him, which is something he did not normally do.

The whole family is said to be going through a very difficult time, especially Manuel's mother, who is pleading for her son "to come home as soon as possible, because nothing will happen to him."

Around 3,000 people took part in a demonstration in Canillas yesterday evening, calling for Manuel's safe return to his family.