Transparency over Southport stabbings key to avoiding 'deep public mistrust' in criminal justice system, says Jenrick
30 October 2024, 09:13 | Updated: 30 October 2024, 09:47
Robert Jenrick has told LBC that a lack of transparency surrounding the Southport stabbings could lead to "deep public mistrust in the criminal justice system".
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Speaking exclusively to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, the Tory leadership candidate labelled the Southport stabbings "a case of the highest public interest".
"What we do know is that Merseyside Police said at the time they would give regular updates, that was the statement they put out. No such updates have been forthcoming," Mr Jenrick highlighted.
"The concern here is by not being entirely frank with the public - which I think is the legitimate conclusion that many people would come to - that that is going to lead to precisely the outcome that the police, the authorities, or even possibly the Prime Minister were trying to avoid: deep public mistrust in the criminal justice system."
Merseyside Police continue to insist the Southport stabbings was not terror related.
Jenrick's comments come on the day Southport stabbing suspect Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 18, is due to appear in court charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder and one count of carrying a knife.
On Tuesday, Merseyside Police announced the teenager was set to face two further charges.
Robert Jenrick speaks on Southport suspects additional charges
One charge related to the production of the toxic chemical ricin - under section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974 - and another of possessing a PDF of an Al-Qaeda Training Manual, likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
"Terrorist incidents - or those that can be construed to be - are of great public concern," he reiterated.
"They are attacks on society, our way of life, and It’s important to keep the public informed," Jenrick said on the subject of accountability and transparency."
"Transparency is important," Jenrick said, adding: "Sunlight is the bet disinfectant".
"I don’t want our country to become like some European countries such as Germany, where the authorities hide away from difficult stories. That is a dark path to go down," he told Nick.
"I want our public figures to be honest with the public," he said.
"The state shouldn’t be lying to the general public about issues of great public concern."
The spread of misinformation linked to the suspect following the knife attack, which took place at The Hart Space community centre in Southport, led to a series of riots across England in the weeks that followed.
More than 1,000 people have since been charged, with police vowing more rioters will be brought to justice.
Reporting restrictions preventing the teenager's identification were subsequently lifted by a judge at Liverpool Crown Court in the weeks following the attack.
