Rachel Nickell investigation to be examined
Rachel Nickell investigation to be examined
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Thursday, 19, Nov 2009 05:06
By Richard James.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is to investigate complaints made by Rachel Nickell's partner over police failures to take action which may have prevented her death on Wimbledon Common in 1992.
Andre Hanscombe submitted a complaint to the police watchdog on Monday.
Since then investigators have looked into the information provided and a decision to launch an independent investigation has now been taken.
Ms Nickell was 23 years old when she was killed in a knife attack in south-west London in front of her two-year-old son Alex.
Last year 42-year-old Robert Napper admitted the crime and pleaded guilty to her manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
He was ordered to be detained in Broadmoor indefinitely.
The IPCC confirmed on Thursday Mr Hanscombe's complaint concerned three investigations by the Metropolitan police service of serious criminal offences now known to have been committed by Napper - including the murder of Samantha and Jazmine Bisset in November 1993.
Police have already apologised to the family of Ms Bissett, 27, and her four-year-old daughter Jazmine, over their deaths.
It has been reported police had been given tip-offs about Napper's criminality as far back as 1989, including from his own mother.
Mr Hanscombe has now alleged the 42-year-old should have been detected before he murdered Ms Nickell and then Samantha and Jazmine Bisset.
IPCC commissioner Deborah Glass said today: "The allegations made in this complaint are numerous and serious. They range from allegations that investigating officers overlooked, discounted or otherwise wrongfully evaluated evidence, through to high-level strategic decisions by senior officers about the direction of the investigations.
"We are in the very early stages of gathering and examining information and, given the scale of the original police investigation, this will take some time."
On Monday Mr Hanscombe apologised to the man originally suspected of killing his partner, Colin Stagg, who spent 13 months in jail before being acquitted.