Government refuses to come clean over Deepcut- Öpik (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

Government refuses to come clean over Deepcut- Öpik

May 13, 2009 5:42 PM

Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth will issue a written statement to the Commons today (Thursday 14th May) on two Board of Inquiry reports into deaths at the Deepcut Army barracks.

The Board of Inquiry reports for the deaths of Private Geoff Gray and Private James Collinson, have recently been released to their families, just over seven years after James Collinson's death.

Commenting ahead of the statement, Lembit said:

"The authorities involved in the investigation have been elusive at best. Information surrounding the deaths of these four recruits between 1995 and 2002, Cheryl James, Sean Benton, James Collinson and Geoff Gray, remains incredibly sketchy and it has proved impossible to get any straight answer out of the Government or the Police on the holes in the evidence.

"I have been waiting since October 2008 for a reply from Surrey Police to my resubmitted Freedom of Information request and the families have been unable to see this key piece of evidence that was so relied upon in the Blake Review.

"I suspect that this statement will be used as an opportunity to close the affair, and to suggest that extensive work has been done surrounding the Deepcut affair.

"In reality, this Government has stringently avoided providing a full investigation. The current Armed Forces Minister has avoided meeting with the families of the victims, has refused a public inquiry, and refused a second inquest into Cheryl's death, despite the BOI report recording suicide while the initial Coroner's report recorded an open verdict.

"Neither has Nicholas Blake QC nor the Government met a single Deepcut recruit in relation to these deaths.

"I am deeply disappointed with the Blake Review, which I can never regard as a worthwhile substitute for a full robust public inquiry: Blake was not allowed to subpoena witnesses, nor cross examine witnesses.

"Startling evidence of a cover-up remains: Sean Benton could not have shot himself five times, there is evidence that James Collinson was not alone at the time of his death, and forensic evidence and the bullet involved in Cheryl's death were inexplicably lost.

"I will continue to fight alongside my constituents for a full public inquiry and I hope that the Minister will hear these challenges. While I'm sure improvements have been made, and an Armed Forces Complaints Commissioner has been put in place, this is no excuse not to hold a full public inquiry for those families still awaiting justice."