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| Hammer attack woman let down by police, says IPCC | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A woman attacked with a hammer after reporting her partner for a previous attack was repeatedly let down by South Wales Police, the Independent Police Complaints Commission has said. | A woman attacked with a hammer after reporting her partner for a previous attack was repeatedly let down by South Wales Police, the Independent Police Complaints Commission has said. |
| The force did not realise Christopher Veal was a convicted rapist because they mis-spelt his name. | The force did not realise Christopher Veal was a convicted rapist because they mis-spelt his name. |
| Moments after police left Charmaine Lewis's home, Veal broke in and attacked her in front of her children. | Moments after police left Charmaine Lewis's home, Veal broke in and attacked her in front of her children. |
| The IPCC said one officer had a case to answer for misconduct. | The IPCC said one officer had a case to answer for misconduct. |
| Another officer and three control room staff should be subject to management over poor performance, the investigation found. | Another officer and three control room staff should be subject to management over poor performance, the investigation found. |
| IPCC Commissioner Jan Williams said the force had "put this woman and her children at serious risk" and "did not give this case any urgency or priority". | IPCC Commissioner Jan Williams said the force had "put this woman and her children at serious risk" and "did not give this case any urgency or priority". |
| She said South Wales Police needed to make "major cultural change". | She said South Wales Police needed to make "major cultural change". |
| The police watchdog's investigation found Ms Lewis was "let down by a consistent thread of low level performance by South Wales officers and other staff". | The police watchdog's investigation found Ms Lewis was "let down by a consistent thread of low level performance by South Wales officers and other staff". |
| Violent attack | Violent attack |
| It report outlines how Ms Lewis had reported Veal to police following an assault in August 2011 but police could not find him on records - it later transpired they had typed in the incorrect name - and failed to identify him as a registered sex offender. | It report outlines how Ms Lewis had reported Veal to police following an assault in August 2011 but police could not find him on records - it later transpired they had typed in the incorrect name - and failed to identify him as a registered sex offender. |
| She contacted police three days later and went to Fairwater police station saying she felt threatened by Veal. Officers responded by driving her home in a marked police van and told her she would be safe. | She contacted police three days later and went to Fairwater police station saying she felt threatened by Veal. Officers responded by driving her home in a marked police van and told her she would be safe. |
| Minutes later Veal broke in and violently attacked her with a claw hammer. | Minutes later Veal broke in and violently attacked her with a claw hammer. |
| Ms Lewis suffered serious injuries, including broken ribs and lost teeth. | Ms Lewis suffered serious injuries, including broken ribs and lost teeth. |
| "He hit me in the head… stamped on my body and broke my ribs," she said. "I was covered in blood... I woke up in hospital. | "He hit me in the head… stamped on my body and broke my ribs," she said. "I was covered in blood... I woke up in hospital. |
| "He was a very high risk. I trusted the police. They should have kept us in the police station or waited until they had arrested him." | "He was a very high risk. I trusted the police. They should have kept us in the police station or waited until they had arrested him." |
| She added: "He thought he did kill me because he phoned the police and said he'd killed me. | She added: "He thought he did kill me because he phoned the police and said he'd killed me. |
| "He said 'come and get me' and the police said 'we're too busy, phone again in an hour and we'll come and get you'." | "He said 'come and get me' and the police said 'we're too busy, phone again in an hour and we'll come and get you'." |
| IPCC commissioner Jan Williams said South Wales Police did not take the initial report seriously enough. | IPCC commissioner Jan Williams said South Wales Police did not take the initial report seriously enough. |
| She told BBC Wales: "They didn't give it a high enough priority and they didn't give any urgency to finding the offender. | She told BBC Wales: "They didn't give it a high enough priority and they didn't give any urgency to finding the offender. |
| "As a consequence, he was able to repeat his attack on her three days later with really serious results that hospitalised her. | "As a consequence, he was able to repeat his attack on her three days later with really serious results that hospitalised her. |
| "We were really concerned that all the information about him was there on the systems. They had all the intelligence they needed and they didn't look at it properly. | "We were really concerned that all the information about him was there on the systems. They had all the intelligence they needed and they didn't look at it properly. |
| "Some of the officers didn't know any of his background. Nobody was joining the dots. | "Some of the officers didn't know any of his background. Nobody was joining the dots. |
| "It's pointless having theses intelligence systems if officers don't know that they should or don't know how to access them." | "It's pointless having theses intelligence systems if officers don't know that they should or don't know how to access them." |
| The report found South Wales Police should have referred the matter to the IPCC at the time it happened. | The report found South Wales Police should have referred the matter to the IPCC at the time it happened. |
| They were only made aware when Ms Lewis' MP, Susan Elan Jones, complained on her behalf after she moved to live in north Wales. | They were only made aware when Ms Lewis' MP, Susan Elan Jones, complained on her behalf after she moved to live in north Wales. |
| South Wales Police's deputy chief constable, Matt Jukes, said in a previous statement: "It is clear that we did not provide the victim in this case and her children with the care and protection that she needed at a critical time and we are sincerely sorry for that." | South Wales Police's deputy chief constable, Matt Jukes, said in a previous statement: "It is clear that we did not provide the victim in this case and her children with the care and protection that she needed at a critical time and we are sincerely sorry for that." |
| South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said: "The events should not have happened as they did. The deputy chief constable made that absolutely clear. | South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said: "The events should not have happened as they did. The deputy chief constable made that absolutely clear. |
| "The thing is there have been failures in the past which is why I and the chief constable made tackling violence against women and girls such a high priority in the police and crime plan." | "The thing is there have been failures in the past which is why I and the chief constable made tackling violence against women and girls such a high priority in the police and crime plan." |