The widow of murdered MP Sir David Amess has accused the Government of a "cover-up" following a review into how Prevent handled her husband's killer. Lady Julia Amess described the independent review as an "insult to Sir David's memory" in a scathing letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The Amess family instructed lawyers to scrutinise Independent Prevent Commissioner David Anderson KC's report into the case. Their legal team criticised how "too much investigation has been conducted behind closed doors" and highlighted significant gaps in the review process.
Family demands public inquiry
Lady Amess said their questions can only be answered "by way of a public inquiry" rather than the limited review that was conducted. The family's solicitors at Hudgell Solicitors said "too many doors have been closed when challenging questions have been raised" about the case.
The review found that only one counter-terrorism case officer with first-hand experience of killer Ali Harbi Ali's Prevent referral was interviewed. Ali was referred to Prevent seven years before the so-called Islamic State fanatic stabbed the veteran Conservative MP at his constituency surgery in Essex in October 2021.
Killer described as 'great person'
Ali was sentenced to a whole-life order the following year after murdering Sir David. Lord Anderson's report revealed that Ali was described as a "great person" by a counter-terrorism case officer shortly before his case was dropped by Prevent.
The report said "intensive" efforts have been made to improve processes within Prevent, but the "jury is out" on some of the changes. Cooper had previously written to the Amess family saying she realised the "seriousness" of the failings in Sir David's case.
'Disrespected and insulted'
In her letter to Cooper, Lady Amess said: "I have to say that, once again, my family has been disrespected and insulted by the Government. Your letter implies that you have our best interests at heart - which could not be further from the truth."
Lady Amess described meeting Lord Anderson during the review process as "very pleasant" but said it was "absolutely clear" he would be unable to provide the answers they sought. She said he did not have the authority to "dig below the surface" and find out exactly what happened.
Call for transparency
"He did not have the authority to find out who is responsible for the failings and what will be done to somehow ease the pain and suffering we are still experiencing because the truth is not being told," Lady Amess wrote. "One can only conclude that this whole sorry saga is a cover-up."
She added that the family should have been "taken under the wing of the Government, cared for sympathetically and shown a little compassion". Instead, she said they have been "treated disgracefully" and vowed to "fight until my dying day for my husband, our children and their children".
Solicitor backs inquiry call
Solicitor Neil Hudgell said answers regarding Ali's referral to Prevent "remain deeply unsatisfactory". He criticised how Lord Anderson did not interview any other member of the Prevent panel which dealt with the Ali case, apart from the one counter-terrorism officer who only agreed to be interviewed "on strict conditions".
Hudgell said even the coroner declined to engage with Lord Anderson, citing judicial independence. He argued that a statutory public inquiry is needed as "only this forum can compel witnesses to appear and give evidence under oath, and be questioned as to what was known, and why decisions were made".
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
