Andrew Malkinson has demanded “fearless investigation” of the police following the conclusion of the trial which saw Paul Quinn convicted of the rape for which he spent 17 years in prison.
Malkinson told The Sunday Times: “I feel like I can breathe a little easier today. I hope the victim can, too.”
He was wrongly picked out at a police identity parade and happened to live near the crime scene, a remote area down a motorway embankment, in Little Hulton
Quinn had already been convicted of serious sexual violence.
Yet, despite living on an estate across the road from where he is believed to have first encountered the victim on that July night, he was never on the police’s radar.
“This guy was a violent sexual offender who lived nearby,” Malkinson told the newspaper . “The police should have had him on their radar. But instead they insisted on going after me, even after the victim expressed doubts that it was me.”
Following the conclusion of the trial the Independent Office of Police Complaints (IOPC) said that The miscarriage of justice that led to Andrew Malkinson being jailed for 17 years – one of the worst we have ever seen in this country – has had a profound impact on the lives of many people.
In their statement they said that while many lines of inquiry have been paused up to now, to avoid negatively impacting the recently concluded trial,
”we have worked hard to gather and review what evidence we can, securing around 1,500 evidential documents to support the investigation.
“Now that the criminal trial has concluded, we will consider how any evidence heard during the trial may affect our investigation and resume paused lines of inquiry, including approaching witnesses we believe may be able to assist us.
“To date, we have informed five former officers that their conduct is under investigation for potential gross misconduct and one serving officer that they are being investigated for possible misconduct. One of the former officers is also under criminal investigation for potential misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice.
“This means there is an indication the officers may have acted in a way that would justify disciplinary or criminal proceedings, but does not necessarily mean such proceedings follow. We will decide whether disciplinary proceedings and referral to the Crown Prosecution Service are required once the investigator’s report has been finalised.
“There are some officers whose conduct we have not yet been able to assess due to the suspension of our investigation, and we will aim to complete this work in the coming weeks.
“We understand the impact this investigation will have for those involved and we will do everything in our power to conclude matters as soon as possible, while ensuring all of Mr Malkinson’s complaints are thoroughly investigated.”
