Reaction from Milly's mother, sister and father and Det Ch Insp Maria Woodall of Surrey Police and Nigel Pilkington of the CPS
Saturday, June 25, 2011
'Changes needed' after Milly case
The man who oversaw the police investigation into the murder of schoolgirl Milly Dowler has called for changes to the criminal justice system.
The Chief Constable of Surrey Police, Mark Rowley, said victims and witnesses need protection during court cases.
He said he was "upset and embarrassed" by the way the family had been treated.
The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, said the case raised "fundamental questions" and he would examine how victims are treated.
Bob and Sally Dowler have criticised the way they were cross examined during the trial of Levi Bellfield, who was given a whole life tariff by a judge at the Old Bailey on Friday.
The Dowlers said they suffered a "mentally scarring experience on an unimaginable scale".
Writing in The Times, Mr Rowley admits the police made mistakes but he says the justice system sometimes shows a "disgraceful lack of humanity".
The family of 13-year-old Milly Dowler, who was abducted from Walton-on-Thames in 2002, have said they paid "too high a price" for the conviction of Bellfield.
Mr Dowler said the justice system was loaded unfairly in favour of the criminal.
Mr Starmer said: "We will be contributing to the review by the Ministry of Justice into all aspects of victim support."
Milly Dowler's remains were found six months after she disappeared Mrs Dowler said her daughter had been defamed in court as unhappy and depressed.
She said the trial had been a "truly awful experience".
But she said "at last the man responsible for the cruel murder of our darling daughter" had been brought to justice.
Milly's sister, Gemma Dowler said: "I can honestly say that the day my mother and father were questioned by the defence QC Mr Samuels was the worst day of my life."
Mrs Dowler collapsed after giving evidence during the trial, which had heard letters and poems written by her daughter describing herself as a "disappointment".
Levi Bellfield had denied murdering schoolgirl Milly Dowler Following this, the prosecution decided not to call Milly's sister Gemma to give evidence.
Details of the family's private life were also revealed in court, including the fact that Milly discovered pornography magazines at the family home.
It was also revealed that Mr Dowler was initially considered a suspect in her disappearance after police found bondage material at their family home.
During the prosecution's closing speeches, Brian Altman QC accused Bellfield of putting Milly's grieving parents on trial.
Bellfield had also faced a charge of attempting to abduct Rachel Cowles, who is now 21, but the jury was discharged and there will be no retrial.
Defence lawyers cited an "avalanche of adverse publicity" following Bellfield's conviction on Thursday for murdering Milly.
Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC is to consider whether there has been any possible contempt of court.
Speaking outside court Ms Cowles said she was hurt and angry by what she called media coverage which had "robbed her of justice".
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-13913964
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