MPS defends decision to review Madeleine case

The commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said he “jealously guarded” operational independence, telling the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) that there was no government pressure on the force to investigate the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, following accusations of “unfair attention” given to the case.

Speaking at a meeting of the MPA last week (May 26), Sir Paul Stephenson said that the force’s expertise in missing children’s cases meant that it could make a valuable contribution to the case of Madeleine’s disappearance, who went missing on a holiday resort in Portugal in 2007 as a three-year-old.

However, the commissioner was criticised by MPA London Assembley member Jenny Jones, who although sympathetic to the case of Madeleine, asked why this is being treated as a special case and asked if a similar move will be made to try and locate Ben Needham, who also went missing in similar circumstances as a one-year-old in 1991.

She added that the MPS’s decision to review the case of Madeleine, on the back of a request by Home Secretary Theresa May, is unfair on other missing children and their families.

“A missing child is every parent’s worst nightmare and I have real sympathy for the many families in this position.

“Because of the Prime Minister’s request to review the Madeleine McCann case, the MPS will be using a lot of time and resources to focus on one particular case, outside of their jurisdiction,” said Ms Jones.

Before the meeting began in City Hall, campaigners and relatives of other missing children held a vigil outside.

Defending the force’s decision to review the case, Sir Paul said the number of murders in the capital has gone down over the last five years which meant that there is now no need for 24 murder teams, allowing experienced detectives to play a role in the search for Madeleine.

He said: “It is about expertise. It is about the fact that we do have the capacity and the capability because we have decided to reduce the murder investigation teams.”

He added that it was not unusual for the force to get involved in cases beyond its jurisdiction and pointed to examples such as the Soham murders in 2002 and the Jersey child abuse case in 2008.

Arguments were also raised around funding of the review, with budgets already squeezed, questions were asked over how it will be afforded. Sir Paul, however, told members the cost of the review will be met by the Government, which will reimburse the force on a quarterly basis as the review goes on.

A spokesperson for the MPS said: “The commissioner has considered the request and the review will be carried out subject to funding being made available by the Home Office as the case is beyond the MPS’s jurisdiction.”