Review into the Waterhouse Inquiry underway
The independent review chaired by Mrs Justice Macur DBE, which will consider the scope of the Waterhouse inquiry, has now commenced.
The review will also consider whether any specific allegations of child abuse falling within the terms of the reference were not investigated by the Inquiry.
This follows the statement by the Secretary of State for Justice, Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, on the 8 November that a review of Sir Ronald Waterhouse’s inquiry into the abuse of children in care in the Gwynedd and Clwyd Council areas would be established.
Mrs Justice Macur said:
I intend robustly to examine recent allegations that the abuse of children in care in North Wales was not investigated in the course of the ‘Waterhouse Inquiry’ and if not, why not.
I am grateful to be assured that sufficient resources will be made available to me to conduct this Review which will be thorough and expeditious. I will not draw any conclusions until I have considered all the evidence.
Evidence obtained and large volumes of material relating to the original Inquiry is now with Mrs Justice Macur. The Review team is working to ensure that all documents that would or should have been available to the Inquiry are provided to them. Any person with information relating to the remit of this Review is invited to contact the Secretary to the Review.
Mrs Justice Macur will make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Secretary of State for Wales once the review is completed.
Notes to editors
For more information please contact the press officer for the Macur Review on 020 3334 3535.
The Secretary to the Macur Review can be contacted at enquiries@macurreview.gsi.gov.uk.
A photo of Mrs Justice Macur is available via the press office.
Mrs Justice Macur’s biography:
The Hon. Mrs Justice Macur was called to the bar in 1979, and was a practising barrister in the Midland and Oxford Circuit between 1979 and 2005. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1998, and was Assistant Recorder and then Recorder of the Crown Court between 1995 and 2005, when she was appointed Judge of the High Court of Justice (Family Division). She was Presiding Judge of the Midland Circuit between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011.
Mrs Justice Macur will be based at the Royal Courts of Justice, London.
The Macur Review is one of two new enquiries relating to North Wales. Keith Bristow, Director General of the National Crime Agency, has been asked by the Chief Constable of North Wales to examine specific, recent allegations made in relation to historic abuse. The investigation, called Operation Pallial, will assess recently received information and the historic police investigation and provide a public report with recommendations to the force and Home Secretary by April 2013. Media enquiries about Operation Pallial should be directed to: Stuart Hadley, Serious Organised Crime Agency Press Office: 08702 948 520 or stuart.hadley@soca.x.gsi.gov.uk.
The Waterhouse Tribunal was published in 2000.