Parents of murdered teenager to sue two forces
The parents of a boy who was murdered after being groomed online are attempting to make a civil claim against Surrey and Essex police.
The parents of a boy who was murdered after being groomed online are attempting to make a civil claim against Surrey and Essex police.
Breck Bednar, from Surrey, was found with a neck wound at a flat in Grays, Essex, in February.
Lewis Daynes, a 19-year-old computer engineer pleaded guilty to murder on Tuesday (November 25) at Chelmsford Crown Court over the death of the 14-year-old in what prosecutors claim was a killing that “involved a sexual and sadistic motivation”.
Surrey and Essex police have confirmed that a civil claim has been made against the forces, but did not go into any further detail. Reports suggest that both forces had poorly handled the incident.
Brecks family told Surrey police in December 2013 that they thought he was being groomed and manipulated by an older man online. However, the family say no action was taken to prevent Daynes carrying out the killing two months later.
Following the conviction, Surrey Police Assistant Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: This has been a tragic case and our thoughts remain with Brecks friends and family.
In December 2013 a call was made to Surrey Police by a relative of Breck expressing concerns around online grooming.
Following Brecks death we carried out a review of practises in our call handling centre and implemented changes to improve the way information is handled and shared.
Due to the prior contact the case was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. They have since decided to conduct an independent investigation into the actions taken by Surrey Police following this communication.”