Malkinson 'vindicated' after review body chair quits

A antheral who spent 17 years successful jailhouse for a rape helium did not perpetrate has said helium feels "vindicated" by the resignation of the seat of the miscarriages of justness reappraisal body.

Helen Pitcher had been heavy criticised for the failings of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) successful narration to Andy Malkinson's case.

Ms Pitcher told the Times she had been made a scapegoat but Mr Malkinson said she had been "made accountable".

"She's been complaining that she's been made a scapegoat but I was made a scapegoat, she has been made accountable and I consciousness vindicated," helium told BBC Radio 4.

Last summer, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood began the ceremonial process of sending a proposal to the King that Ms Pitcher should go, aft personally concluding that she was not acceptable to caput the CCRC.

That determination came aft a damning autarkic report , into however the CCRC had mishandled Mr Malkinson's pleas for help, and however the seat herself had presented its enactment connected his case.

While helium was successful jail, the CCRC doubly rejected Mr Malkinson's submissions that helium was innocent. The 2nd of those rejections came aft Ms Pitcher had go seat successful 2018.

He was lone cleared successful 2023 aft exhaustive enactment by his ain ineligible squad tracked down the long-available DNA grounds that showed different antheral indispensable person committed the rape successful 2003.

The archetypal of 2 autarkic reviews - commissioned by the CCRC itself - recovered that the assemblage had failed to implicit basal enactment that could person formed uncertainty connected Mr Malkinson's conviction. It said Mrs Pitcher's statements arsenic seat had not decently reflected these failings.

Ms Pitcher told the Times that she was not successful complaint the archetypal clip Mr Malkinson's entreaty was rejected and that helium was released "on her watch" equipped with caller DNA grounds that the CCRC uncovered Mr Malkinson was released.

Mr Malkinson told the Today programme this was not existent and that Appeal, a foundation and instrumentality steadfast that challenges wrongful convictions, was the 1 that uncovered the DNA evidence.

"Appeal did each the enactment that Ms Pitcher has claimed recognition for," helium said.

"This has made radical rather aggravated and I consciousness rather affectional astir it.

"It's patently untrue that CCRC did each the enactment to acceptable maine escaped it was Appeal that acceptable maine free."

Mr Malkinson is present calling for a "root and branch" betterment of the CCRC.

"It's the full civilization of 'it's not our responsibility we're blameless and we're doing the champion imaginable job'," helium said.

"This communicative is wholly untrue and it has to beryllium reformed due to the fact that it's the static civilization determination that's the biggest problem."

He said helium was besides waiting for compensation from the authorities for his wrongful conviction.

"I'm inactive waiting, I don't recognize why. From this vantage constituent it looks similar I'm conscionable waiting for a signature which seems a small silly," helium said.

"This is not a analyzable lawsuit truthful wherefore don't they conscionable nonstop maine an interim outgo truthful I tin wage my bills and question and not beryllium babelike connected the section of enactment and pensions."

A second, judge-led, enquiry into wider alleged failings into each agencies, including Greater Manchester Police which archetypal accused Mr Malkinson of the crime, is continuing.

Despite the criticisms of Ms Pitcher, ministers had nary powerfulness to sack her straight due to the fact that the CCRC is an autarkic transgression justness body.

The seat is appointed by the King to guarantee the agency's separation from ministers, prosecutors and judges.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said connected Tuesday that it welcomed her resignation.

"Given the value of the CCRC's work, we volition name an interim seat arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable who volition beryllium tasked with conducting a afloat and thorough reappraisal of however the organisation operates."