Statement from West Mercia Police
Tue 30th June, 2020
Please see below a statement from West Mercia Police explaining more about their investigation and how it relates to the review. I hope this is helpful.
Statement from West Mercia Police:
“We appreciate that you may have questions about the police investigation and how this sits alongside the review and we’d like to give you as much clarity as possible.
We have been engaging with the Ockenden Review throughout and, following an assessment of the current information available, we now feel it’s appropriate to launch a police investigation to ascertain if any criminal offence has been committed.
The scope of our investigation (known as Operation Lincoln) is to identify whether there is evidence to support a criminal case either against the Trust or any individuals.
We are looking at cases from 1st October 2003, which is the date the current Trust was established. However, we will consider serious cases prior to this date and if you have any concerns at all we welcome you to contact us via this online form: http://mipp.police.uk/getForms/22HQ19D84-PO1/22HQ19D84-PF1
I want to reassure you that our investigation will not impede the progress of the Ockenden Review or the learning and health care improvements which they or the Trust may identify.
We are working with the Review to identify the cases that we believe are most likely to form part of the criminal investigation and we will be in touch with those families. This may mean we are not in touch with some of you but this shouldn’t be interpreted as your case being less important to us or the Review. Our investigation is to ascertain if a crime has been committed. To get to our investigative decision it is unlikely we will need to assess every case. Again, however, if you have any concerns you can get in touch using the form linked above.
We cannot even begin to imagine what you have been, and continue to go through and we will endeavour to keep you informed as it progresses as best we can recognising the sensitivity of this nature of investigation.”