Delay in Criminal Probe for Contaminated Blood Victims

Acting Deputy Chief Constable Robert Griffin, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) review, wrote to victims that officers have spent two years examining the early chapters of the public inquiry but “regrettably, that has not proved to be the case.” Consequently, the NPCC has broadened its review to cover every chapter of the inquiry’s findings, a move Griffin acknowledged will “inevitably extend the timeline.” Updates are now scheduled every three months, with the next due in the week beginning October 26.

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The Infected Blood Inquiry concluded that more than 30,000 people were infected with HIV, hepatitis C and other deadly diseases after receiving NHS-supplied blood and blood products. The inquiry described the disaster as “largely avoidable” and highlighted that children at Lord Mayor Treloar College in Alton, Hampshire, were knowingly used in medical research without informed consent. More than 80 children died after receiving contaminated blood products at that facility.

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Griffin’s letter also contained an apology, acknowledging that the additional delay is “deeply regrettable and understandably difficult.”

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Victims such as Gary Webster, who attended Treloar between 1975 and 1983 and now lives with HIV and hepatitis B and C, have filed crime reports with Hampshire Police and argue that sufficient evidence already exists for a UK-wide criminal investigation. Webster described the prolonged wait as a “living nightmare” for families of the pupils he believes were failed by those responsible for their care.

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• “Regrettably, that has not proved to be the case,” — Constable Robert Griffin, acting deputy chief

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