• Home /
• Statewatch Database /
• UK: Campaign wins new investigation into death

UK: Campaign wins new investigation into death

01 March 2002

Deputy Assistant John Grieve, the head of the Metropolitan police racial and violent crimes unit, has acceded to demands for a new inquiry into the death of a young black man, Shaun Rodney, who was found dead in Ilford city centre on 27 June 2001. An inquest, that was scheduled to take place in March, was referred back after the coroner raised questions about the conduct of the police investigation. The Rodney family had, for some months, called for a new team to carry out the inquiry, before taking their case to Grieve. The family believe that racial prejudice was behind the flawed investigation.
Grieve has now agreed with Shaun's family that there were "serious shortcomings" in the investigation of a death, about which many unanswered questions remain. Police reached the wrong conclusion that he had killed himself, and as a result the cause of his death has never been thoroughly investigated. The second investigation will be carried out under Detective Chief Inspector Magnus Gudmundsson and will look at the initial police inquiry, the events preceding Shaun's death and other issues raised by the family.

The Justice for Shaun Rodney Campaign can be contacted through Zaineb Kemsley on 0208 555 8151; Justice for Shaun Rodney Campaign press release 5.3.02; Independent 29.3.02.