Star comment: We’re left with more questions
The publication of the lengthy police watchdog inquiry into the Kevin Nunes murder saga was meant to draw a line under this unedifying episode in the history of Staffordshire Police.
However, we are left with more questions than answers.
It is clear that Mick Creedon, a distinguished Chief Constable who carried out the watchdog’s investigation, believes senior and junior officers needed to be held accountable.
Clearly the conduct and practices of some officers was disgraceful.
But the role of senior officers in this case is also deeply alarming.
Repeated warnings were ignored over the integrity of the star witness.
The fact that a £15,000 reward was paid to him, and the fact he seemed to enjoy a level of immunity, also sets alarm bells ringing.
One thing Mr Creedon, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the Crown Prosecution Service and Staffordshire Police seem to agree on is that there was no criminal wrongdoing by officers.
But all parties seem to disagree over the level of accountability and responsibility to be levelled at senior officers. The public will be appalled that things can so disastrously wrong and not a single person can be held accountable.
It is now 15 years since Kevin Nunes was murdered and his family have had to wait the best part of five years for answers over the failings. It has taken far too long to get even this far.
How can the public be expected to have any confidence in the integrity of the police when faced with a situation like this. The IPCC, the senior officers, Staffordshire Police, and the respective police and crime commissioners are locked in a row over the case.
There are clearly no winners, only losers. But the biggest losers are the public. The Express & Star is proud to have played its part in keeping this deeply desperate, but important, story in the public domain.
Had we not been challenging the authorities and doggedly pursued new details, it is possible a lot of what has been exposed would have never come to light.
To some degree the publication of this report draws a line under the affair. But it may not be the end of the story. What is clear is that what happened in this case must never be allowed to happen again.
