Suzanne & Lee
Hi,
Not long off the phone with Lee and it was great to hear them all and see them yesterday on the various TV reports and online.
It is nearly a year since I met Lee and another lady (separate case) in Yorkshire to discuss the nightmare that is these sort of medical ‘expert’ cases.
Radio 5 Live wanted to chat about how it Suzannes justice may help our quest. Yesterday seemed dominated by Miscarriages of justice, so it was appropriate to raise some of these issues again.
When you consider ‘experts’ (on either side) one will say its Black and one will say its White and its left for the jury to decide. I know I may not be the brightest candle in the box, but surely if you mix black and white you get grey?
In a court it shouldn’t be grey, but as clear as crystal. The use of unproven theories should be stopped NOW. There are cases being decided as I write.
I will bang on about a review, for as long as it takes, to improve the system, to protect the children, and their parents and carers from false accusations. We need to get the scales of justice balanced, and remove blinkers from investigators.
Its sad to hear the Met say they don’t want an enquiry into the Stagg saga, well sorry but they shouldn’t get a choice, other innocents died, that needn’t have and there needs to be an open and honest review, otherwise the same mistakes can all too easily be made again.
I also heard Peter Neyroud, the ex head of Thames Valley Police and now head of the Policing Improvement Agency talk about how things have improved since Stagg. Well lets not rest on our laurels, things can usually be done better. Public support is low at the moment with the Police. Which is sad as the Officers on the ground can often run around like mad things, taking call after call.
The Government should step back from micro managing the Police and other bodies and let them get on with it. Chief Constables need to remember its the public that employ them not the PM. Take Lancashire Police’s example and follow their lead.
The Police need to stop being fooled by 60mph impacts like in Suzannes case, HOW did she do it, in a tight space? I have been to the scene of quite a few Road Traffic Accidents and Collisions over the years and cars, motorbikes etc do a hell of a lot of damage leaving all sorts of marks and scrapes at speeds under 30mph. At 60mph they trash things. Maybe Cleveland Police should lead by example and apologise post haste to Suzanne and her family and Kyles family. Don’t wait years and years (like in the Stagg case), and be big enough to do it face to face…NOT via the Solicitors. Humble pie tastes no better the longer you leave it………
Mr Neyroud can always talk to me about a course for Police staff, and others into the problems of Noble Cause Corruption, tunnel vision and the like. I try to look for the positives as well as negatives and honestly I don’t want the guilty to escape or the innocent to be found guilty. I hope the offer will one day be taken up.
Suzanne and Lee now can enjoy their Christmas and New Year together with the family and friends. Thank God that things are starting to swing round, lets just hope the pendulum stays in the middle and doesn’t veer too far off course again.
Happy Christmas to all, stay safe
Iain