Reinvestigation into the Met’s handling of serial killer case
IT WILL EXAMINE IF HOMOPHOBIA AFFECTED THE INVESTIGATIONS
THE police watchdog will reinvestigate the Metropolitan Police over their handling of the murder investigation of Hull man Anthony Walgate and three other young men, it was announced yesterday.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it will now look into how Scotland Yard investigated the cases when serial killer Stephen Port committed his deadly crime spree in Barking, east London, from June 2014 to September 2015, after none of the officers involved in the case faced disciplinary action.
Jurors at the inquests into the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, 22, Daniel Whitworth, 21, and 25-yearold Jack Taylor concluded that police failings “probably” contributed to the deaths of the three last victims, all of whom were unlawfully killed.
The jury’s findings, in December last year, prompted the IOPC to announce that it would consider reinvestigating.
Earlier this year, BBC drama “Four Lives” portrayed the harrowing situation the victims’ families found themselves in as they tried to get justice.
Anthony, a fashion student from Hull, was Port’s first victim and he was spiked with a fatal overdose of the date-rape drug GHB.
Port proceeded to rape Walgate before discarding his body in the street.
Anthony’s mother Sarah Sak previously described the inquest into her son’s death as a “travesty” and claimed police acted with an attitude of indifference to Anthony’s death, which they said had occurred in “unusual” but “non-suspicious” circumstances.
In a letter sent to the families’ solicitor Neil Hudgell of Hudgell Solicitors on Wednesday morning, the IOPC said a new investigation was in the public interest.
Speaking on behalf of the families, Mr Hudgell said: “There remains a big question mark over whether police prejudice played a part in the investigations.
During the inquests, the police attempted to brief the media that the coroner had found no evidence of homophobia, which is simply not true.
“The coroner did not ask the inquest jury to make findings of prejudice at the request of the police.
“The families’ strongly held belief is that the police’s actions were, in part, driven by homophobia.
“Had four, white, heterosexual girls been found dead in the same manner as Anthony, Gabriel, Daniel, and Jack, then the police’s actions, and the likely outcomes, would have been different.
“The families were left traumatised by their treatment at the hands of the police.
“The inadequate investigations by the Metropolitan Police into the four deaths is one of the most widespread institutional failures in modern history, exacerbated by a woeful lack of remorse, regret or sympathy displayed at the inquests by some of the officers involved.
“The inquests identified fundamental failings and basic errors in the investigation into Anthony’s death, which meant that Port was free to go on to kill Gabriel, Daniel, and Jack.
“Port was jailed for life, but the police have blood on their hands too.
“It is time for them to be held accountable. We expect the IOPC to investigate with renewed vigour.
“The families are ready to assist in any way they can, we hope the same can be said of the police.”