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Police could've convicted Ian Watkins sooner, IPCC says

The IPCC said police could've brought Watkins to justice years earlier if they'd properly investigated reports from several complainants.

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Mjadzelics 'vindicated' by Watkins IPCC report

Credit: PA

Joanne Mjadzelics says she has been 'vindicated' by an IPCC report which found that paedophile popstar Ian Watkins could have been brought to justice sooner.

South Wales Polce officers were found to have made "errors and omissions" and in some instances failed to "carry out even rudimentary investigation" into reports of Watkins's wrongdoing made by his ex-girlfriend Joanne Mjadzelics and other witnesses between 2008 and September 2012.

It is nine years since I first reported the crimes of Ian Watkins to South Wales Police. The IPCC report published today finally vindicates me and accepts that from the outset I was telling the truth and trying to bring a serious criminal sexual predator to justice. It has been a long and difficult road for me over these years during which I have at times been ignored and dismissed whilst at others maliciously handled and prosecuted by the police. All this has badly affected my health and welfare but far worse than the effect on me is that there was a four year delay between my reporting Watkins to the police and his arrest, time during which he remained at liberty able to perpetrate further crime.

– Joanne Mjadzelics

Mjadzelics was cleared of possessing indecent images of children in January 2015, having told Cardiff Crown Court she was trying to entrap the depraved singer.

She says she is seeking legal advice.

The IPCC report is alarming showing the widespread failings of the South Wales Police in dealing with me and others as witnesses in a case when the allegations are made against a celebrity. I truly hope that lessons have been learned by the South Wales Police as suggested and that others brave enough to come forward and make reports of serious crime against a celebrity or indeed anyone else are treated with the respect and professionalism they deserve and not, as I was, dismissed and defamed because they are not deemed to be the “perfect witness”.

– Joanne Mjadzelics

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