Grieving officer blames his own force for failings over daughter`s murder
A “heartbroken” police officer is staying with the force that has admitted a series of failings he believes led to the killing of his teenage daughter.
A “heartbroken” police officer is staying with the force that has admitted a series of failings he believes led to the killing of his teenage daughter.
Detective Constable Steve Williams has decided to continue his service with West Mercia Police despite being “badly let down” by the force and social services over “shortfalls” that ended in Georgia Williams being hanged by a man obsessed with asphyxiating girls.
The officer and his wife, Lynnette, have described the findings of a Discretionary Serious Case Review (DSCR) into her murder in May 2013 as an “embarrassment” to the police.
The couple said the reviews report showed their 17-year-old daughter`s death could have been prevented and that her killer, Jamie Reynolds, who had tried to strangle a girl in 2008, was “a murderer in the making”.
Now Det Const Williams has called for the publication of a report prepared by Devon and Cornwall Police commissioned by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) into how his colleagues investigated an attack by his daughter`s murderer, Jamie Reynolds.
He said it highlighted mistakes “ten times worse” than those identified by the DSCR.
Her parents said: “If people had just done their jobs properly our daughter would still be alive.
“Georgia`s death could have been prevented – learn if nothing else.”
Chief Constable David Shaw, of West Mercia Police, said: “We cannot even begin to adequately express or truly understand the immense loss felt by Georgia`s family and friends following her murder and our thoughts have remained with them throughout this review process.
“We could have and should have done better. We let Georgia down. We let Steve and Lynnette down.
“And as you`ll see in the report – some other young people, we let them down as well.
“What that report reflects is a whole series of things that the police and other agencies can do to improve, and make sure the failings do not happen again.”
The independent Devon and Cornwall Police report, given to the West Mercia force in March, led to misconduct proceedings against four officers and one member of police staff who face a sanction stopping short of dismissal.
Georgia`s father told a press conference in Telford, Shropshire: “It (the Devon and Cornwall report) should be released because it gives all the answers to the questions that remain.”
Holding up a copy of the review, Mr Williams, who has read the outside force`s report, said: “This is an outline and a suggestion of what went wrong.
“The Devon and Cornwall (review) confirmed what went wrong.”
Mr Williams said of the DSCR: “We cried when we read this. And we cried even more when we read the Devon and Cornwall (review) and the context of it, and the answers to why officers didn`t do what they should have.
“In our eyes it`s ten times worse and it would be embarrassment to the police, like this is an embarrassment to the police.
“But I think it should come out because it gives you the answers. This is only half the story. It`s like reading a novel and closing it halfway through and not knowing the end.”
Bill Longmore, WMP Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), said the review had highlighted clear failings by multiple agencies which could have done more to protect Georgia.
He said that the force had accepted its responsibility and all the reviews recommendations.
Mr Longmore added: Georgia and her family were let down in a number of ways, by a number of organisations.
Although clearly nothing can turn back the clock, its vital to make sure that the risk of anything like this ever happening again is minimised.
I have been assured that the police have made a number of changes to improve the way they work, and I hope to see improved partnership working and collaboration between the police and all the relevant partners here, because the best results can only be achieved by working together.
The tragedy touched on the subject of handing out police cautions, and he
added: The ethos these days seems to be that everyone deserves a