Calls for inquiry into historic miscarriages of justice backed
NINE Senedd Members have backed a Statement of Opinion calling for a judicial inquiry into historic miscarriage of justice cases that have occurred in the South Wales Police area.
The move follows a press conference called last month by Michael O’Brien, one of the Cardiff Newsagent 3, who spent 11 years in jail for a murder they didn’t commit.
Mr O’Brien now lives in the Cynon Valley constituency and his local Labour MS Vikki Howells, right, has tabled a Statement of Opinion which reads: “This Senedd notes the series of cases since the 1980s investigated by South Wales Police force that resulted in wrongful convictions; notes the impact of being wrongfully accused and imprisonment because of a miscarriage of justice; calls on the Welsh Government to request the UK Government organise a judicial inquiry; and calls on the Ministry of Justice to organise a wide-ranging judicial inquiry into all of the miscarriages of justice that took place between 1982 and 2016.”
So far, it has been backed by Labour MSs David Rees, John Griffiths and Mike Hedges, Plaid Cymru MSs Heledd Fychan, Peredur Owen Griffiths and Sioned Williams; Liberal Democrat MS Jane Dodds and Independent MS Rhys ab Owen.
Statements of Opinion are signed by MSs who want to express their view of an issue publicly but are not debated at the Senedd.
A number of murder cases investigated by South Wales Police resulted in miscarriages of justice, most famously that of three black men convicted of killing sex worker Lynette White in 1988.
The real killer Jeffrey Gafoor, a white man, was identified and convicted years later thanks to advances in DNA technology.
Mr O’Brien said: “We’re very pleased at the support we’re getting from Welsh politicians.
“We are calling on the Ministry of Justice to organise a judicial inquiry that would see a retired judge look at all the cases between 1982 and 2016 affecting South Wales Police in which miscarriages of justice have come to light, find out what went wrong and see what changes should be made to ensure such miscarriages of justice do not occur in the future.
“It’s also important for the sake of the families of the victims that the real killers are caught.”
South Wales Police has acknowledged that errors were made but insists it has learned lessons.