Georgia Williams serious case review findings embarrassment to — National News

The twisted monster then bundled her into a van and drove 45 miles to Wrexham, north Wales, where he dumped her remains in woodland. He was sentenced to life in prison for the crime.

The traumatised teenager managed to escape his parents’ home and complained to police.

Police treated the incident as assault, did not take photographs of the injuries and did not search Reynolds’ home.

A serious case review concluded, however, that her death in Telford, Shropshire, might have been prevented had action been taken earlier. Georgia’s mother, Lynette, says police failed in their duty.

“It was so obvious that Reynolds was, if not one already, a murderer in the making”.

Georgia’s father described the findings of the review as “an embarrassment” to the police, and claimed his daughter’s death could have been prevented.

Reynolds had lured Williams into his home on the pretence of working on a “fantasy photoshoot” involving taking pictures with a noose around her neck.

Police have admitted they “failed” the teenager and her family and insist lessons have been learned.

Its report details the action of numerous West Mercia Police officers.

Meanwhile the girls in the doctored images were never told of their existence until after Georgia’s murder.

“There was a sufficient level of concern and information available about Reynolds’ behaviour to have prompted a more thorough investigation of the 2008 offence”, it said.

“With the knowledge that Reynolds was unsafe, a murderer in the making was allowed to walk free to prey on any female”.

Mr Williams is himself a detective with West Mercia Police.

It also accused Children’s Services, the Youth Offending Service and mental health partner of a “confused and uncoordinated approach”.

They today urged the inquiry to be put in the public domain.

Report author Julie Masters said there had been a “clear indiciation” in 2008 that Reynolds had “an interest in sexual violence”.

The independent Devon and Cornwall report, given to the West Mercia force in March, led to misconduct proceedings against four officers and one civilian staff member who face a sanction stopping short of dismissal.

He was given a final warning and offered counselling.

He said: “We can not even begin to adequately express or truly understand the enormous loss felt by Georgia’s family and friends”. Through this review we have identified training that needs to be done and changes that need to be made.

The serious case review said Reynolds came to the attention of police five years before the murder, when he tried to attack the 16-year-old girl in a “bizarre, potentially serious and unprovoked” manner.

“This should have been considered in the context of both better understanding of the nature of the offence and the motivation for it as well as the impact of any outcome upon opportunities for future risk management”. “We are determined to reduce the risk of anything like this happening again”.