RENEWED ACCOUNTABILITY OF POLICE FORCES COULD UNLOCK DEEPCUT SECRETS

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

RENEWED ACCOUNTABILITY OF POLICE FORCES COULD UNLOCK DEEPCUT SECRETS - ÖPIK

December 4, 2008 10:17 AM

During the debate on the Queen's Speech today in the Commons, Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, spoke up for the publication of police reports into the deaths of army recruits at the Deepcut Barracks and an increased police accountability to be enshrined in the Police and Crime Bill.

Commenting on the exchange, he said:

"The extreme difficulty that I have had in obtaining reports in the past few years from both Devon and Cornwall Police and Surrey Police relating to the deaths of Deepcut army recruits, has raised serious issues in my opinion over the accountability of police forces everywhere. In fact the level of secrecy I've faced regarding the reports into the deaths have now caused me to believe that these recruits were murdered.

"To put it bluntly, there appears a conspiracy of silence between the Ministry of Defence and police authorities to keep these reports from the public. If it takes legislation to release these reports, then I'm in favour of it. As things stand, there seems a brick wall between us and the truth. When it comes to speculating about what hides behind that brick wall, it's natural to fear the worst. Only openness will now change my opinion."

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