Tony Blair resisted demand for public inquiry into Soham schoolgirl murders

Tony Blair resisted requires a public inquiry into the Soham murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, secret Government papers reveal.

The paperwork, which have now been made public on the National Archives, present the previous PM was “wholly against” a full inquiry into the 2002 murders by faculty caretaker Ian Huntley. After the 10-year-olds have been killed, it emerged Huntley had been in a position to get a job working with kids regardless of a sequence of rape and different intercourse offence allegations made to police in Humberside about him.

Then-Home Secretary David Blunkett wished to order a public inquiry after HM Inspector of Constabulary mentioned it was unclear if Cambridgeshire Police had ever requested if there was any intelligence on Huntley. But Mr Blair mentioned any inquiry needs to be held behind closed doorways.

He wrote: “I am wholly against a full, overt public inquiry. Why not get a sensible person reasonably eminent, to do it on a short and quick basis.” It was solely after stress from Mr Blunkett that the PM agreed Sir Michael Bichard, a former senior civil servant, ought to be capable of conduct hearings in public.

His 2004 report led to sweeping modifications throughout policing after uncovering a string of failings. These included necessary checks on the potential prison background of anybody making use of to work with kids.

It additionally led to the creation of the Independent Safeguarding Authority. An investigation discovered that Humberside’s information was so poor that any examine on Huntley’s background would not have uncovered the allegations.