Milly Dowler trial raises ‘fundamental questions’

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is to examine how victims are treated in court following criticism of the cross-examination of Milly Dowler’s family which was described as “loaded in favour of the perpetrator”.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC said the trial of murderer Levi Bellfield, which concluded last week, raised some “fundamental questions”.

Mr Starmer said: “This trial has raised some fundamental questions about the treatment of victims and witnesses in the court process. Those questions require answers and we will be contributing to the review by the Ministry of Justice into all aspects of victim support.”

Milly Dowler’s family criticised the justice system following the “truly horrifying” trial despite the 13-year-old’s killer receiving life imprisonment.

Bellfield was told that he will never be released from jail after a jury at the Old Bailey convicted him of abducting and murdering Milly in March 2002.

Bob Dowler, Milly’s father, although welcoming the guilty verdict, said the conclusion is not “true justice” for his daughter.

He said: “My family has had to pay too high a price for this conviction. The pain and agony that we have endured as a family since March 21, 2002 has been compounded by the devastating effects of this trial.

“During the past nine years there have been many occasions when the police investigation has left us in despair. The trial has been a truly horrifying ordeal for my family. We have had to relive all the emotions and thoughts of nine years ago when Milly first went missing and was then found murdered.

“During our questioning my wife and I both felt as if we were on trial. The questioning of my wife was particularly cruel and inhuman, resulting in her collapse after leaving the stand. We despair of a justice system that is so loaded in favour of the perpetrator of the crime. It has often appeared almost incidental that this is a trial concerning the murder of our daughter.”

The CPS acknowledged that the trial was “extremely distressing”, but added that the criminal trial system in this country is designed to test the evidence given by witnesses, be they for the prosecution or defence, so as to ensure safe conviction and acquittal of the innocent.

Roger Coe Salazar, chief crown prosecutor of the CPS in the South East, said: “There is no doubt that this experience has been extremely distressing for the Dowler family and it is impossible not to be moved and disturbed by the sentiments they have expressed. I and my staff find the courage that they have displayed over such a long period of time, and most recently during the trial, most humbling.

“A prime focus of the prosecution team from the outset was to provide as much support to the Dowler family as possible. This involved a number of meetings to explain the court process as well as to discuss what might be said in court depending on the nature of the defence advanced. However we must recognise that there are some aspects of the trial, in particular in cross examination, which no amount of general foresight can ever prepare someone for.”

Bellfield was already convicted in 2008 of murdering 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell and 22-year-old Amelie Delegrange and is serving life sentences for both crimes.

However, the jury was discharged by the judge on the attempted kidnap of 11-year-old Rachel Cowles due to the inappropriate level of media reporting.

The chief constable of Surrey Police, Mark Rowley, has also met and apologised to both the Dowler and Cowles families, and said the force’s house to house enquiries following Milly’s disappearance, although extensive, were not exhaustive.

The force also acknowledged that there was a poor initial response to Rachel Cowles’ allegation of attempted kidnap the day before Milly went missing, and that lessons have been learnt and changes have been made to procedures.