Child protection committee orders review of Huntley cases

North East Lincolnshire Area Child Protection Committee is
to commission a serious case review to look at how the agencies in
the area fulfilled their duties to protect children who had contact
with Ian Huntley, writes Natasha
Salari.

Social workers from North East Lincolnshire social services were
involved in or aware of five cases, including an alleged indecent
assault on an 11-year-old girl, but in each case the girl did not
want to make a complaint against Huntley.

A separate independent inquiry into the way in which information
on Ian Huntley’s background was kept and used by the police
has been announced by home secretary David Blunkett.

The inquiry will examine the effectiveness of intelligence and
vetting practices carried out by Cambridgeshire and Humberside
police forces into previous allegations made against Huntley.

Blunkett has also asked the police to consider the findings of
the contemporary review by the Metropolitan Police into how
Cambridgeshire carried out the early part of the criminal
investigation.

Blunkett said: “Real concerns exist about the way in which
police intelligence about Huntley’s past was handled. I am
determined that we should uncover the full facts through this
independent inquiry.”

Ian Huntley was convicted of murdering Holly Wells and Jessica
Chapman and given a life sentence for each offence.