Police 'amnesia' over Milly hacking

[Bald Bouncer]

Milly Dowler disappeared in March 2002



Surrey Police were aware of allegations of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone being hacked but failed to investigate, a watchdog has said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said there was knowledge of the allegations "at all levels" of the 2002 investigation into Milly's murder.

The IPCC said senior officers had "collective amnesia" in their inquiry.

Surrey Police said it should have revisited the phone hacking allegations after the murder investigation.

The findings follow an investigation into the conduct of two senior officers, Deputy Chief Constable Craig Denholm and temporary Detective Superintendent Maria Woodall.

'Surprise and dismay'

The IPCC concluded that neither were guilty of misconduct. Surrey Police said it had taken "management action and issued words of advice" to both.

IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass said: "Phone hacking was a crime and this should have been acted upon, if not in 2002, then later, once the News of the World's widespread use of phone hacking became a matter of public knowledge and concern.

"Our investigation has heard from officers and former officers from Surrey Police who have expressed surprise and dismay that it wasn't investigated.

"We have not been able to uncover any evidence, in documentation or witness statements, of why and by whom that decision was made: former senior officers, in particular, appear to have been afflicted by a form of collective amnesia in relation to the events of 2002.

'Public outcry'

"This is perhaps not surprising, given the events of 2011 and the public outcry that the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone produced."

Thirteen-year-old Milly disappeared in March 2002, as she walked home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

Levi Bellfield was given a whole-life jail term last year after being found guilty of abducting and killing her.

The now defunct News of the World admitted hacking the 13-year-old's mobile phone but it remains unknown whether two missing messages were deleted deliberately, as previously suggested, or were removed from her message box automatically.

The revelation that Milly Dowler's voicemail had been hacked led to public outrage over British media ethics, and led to News International closing the Sunday tabloid in 2011.

Prime Minister David Cameron announced the setting up of Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into press standards and practices as a consequence of the phone-hacking scandal.

BBC News

[neilb]

The IPCC concluded that neither were guilty of misconduct. Surrey Police said it had taken "management action and issued words of advice" to both.

IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass said: "Phone hacking was a crime and this should have been acted upon, if not in 2002, then later, once the News of the World's widespread use of phone hacking became a matter of public knowledge and concern.

"Our investigation has heard from officers and former officers from Surrey Police who have expressed surprise and dismay that it wasn't investigated.

"We have not been able to uncover any evidence, in documentation or witness statements, of why and by whom that decision was made: former senior officers, in particular, appear to have been afflicted by a form of collective amnesia in relation to the events of 2002.

Incredible, nobody remembers anything so lets just leave it at that.