Suffolk Police has apologised to the only surviving victim of serial killer Steve Wright over how she feels her case was dealt with – but refused to commit to an inquiry.
Wright, known as the Suffolk Strangler, was jailed last week for the murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall, who disappeared on 19 September 1999 in a village on the outskirts of Felixstowe.
Only the night before, Wright had attempted to abduct newlywed Emily Doherty, then aged 22, who ran, hid and sought refuge in a couple’s house to escape.
Ms Doherty told Sky News last week how Wright tried to kidnap her in Felixstowe, and how she was made to feel like a “silly little girl” after reporting the incident to police.
And she said officers failed to follow it up with a full investigation even after Ms Hall’s body was later found.
Wright went on to murder five women in the Ipswich area in 2006, and on Friday was jailed for murdering Ms Hall and trying to abduct Ms Doherty after admitting both crimes.
Ms Doherty told Sky News: “You can’t help thinking, if they had taken me seriously, Vicky could have survived, but certainly if they had found him sooner the five other women would still be here.”
Assistant Chief Constable of Suffolk Police Alice Scott said: “We’re really sorry that Emily doesn’t feel that she had the service she wanted back in 1999.”
Ms Scott said the information Ms Doherty gave to officers was “part of the circumstantial evidence that has enabled the constabulary” to secure Steve Wright’s conviction last week for the murder of Ms Hall, and Ms Doherty’s abduction.
However, when asked if Suffolk Police would back an inquiry, Ms Scott only said “we will review where we’re at to see if there’s anything we can learn from this case”.
Ms Doherty told Sky News’ Emma Birchley that “the damage has been done,” but that Ms Hall’s family “need to know why they didn’t get answers sooner”.
“There would be people still alive. There would be families not grieving now. It has been troubling me for 26 years.”
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Despite apologising, Ms Scott insisted that “the constabulary was appropriately resourced at the time” of the original investigation and “support was provided when it was required”.
Though she admitted that “it was probably one of the biggest cases at the time that the constabulary had experienced”.
The assistant chief constable also confirmed that Wright is not an active suspect in any unsolved crimes, but that the force remained “open-minded”.
The senior officer said the force would “absolutely” take a report like Ms Doherty’s seriously if it were made today – saying that advances in technology, forensics and CCTV would assist any modern investigation.
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Although critical of the original police response, Ms Doherty says the police team she has worked with since they reopened the case has “been nothing but supportive”.
She added that they “could not be more apologetic to me”.
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When asked if she thought there should be an inquiry, Ms Doherty said the decision wasn’t for her to make.
“It’s for the family (of Victoria). I’m here. I survived.”
Ms Scott said that a huge amount of material had been reviewed by the current investigation team, saying she was “proud” that they had been commended by the judge at the end of the trial.
