The head of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has resigned, claiming she was “made a scapegoat” for Andrew Malkinson’s wrongful rape conviction.
Helen Pitcher, the chairman of the miscarriages of justice watchdog, stepped down on Tuesday after an independent panel recommended her removal.
Mr Malkinson, who spent 17 years behind bars for a rape he did not commit, called for a complete overhaul of the CCRC, claiming the body “obstructed my fight for justice”.
A review published last year found that he was failed by the CCRC and could have been exonerated nearly a decade earlier.
On Tuesday, Ms Pitcher claimed she had been unfairly ousted over Mr Malkinson’s case.
“A head had to roll and I was chosen for that role,” she told The Times.
The 66-year old added: “I was made a scapegoat for decisions largely made before I got involved in this organisation.
Helen Pitcher has resigned after an independent panel recommended her dismissal – PA
“In the inquiries that followed, I was not given the chance to properly defend myself. I shudder to think why anyone would want to go into public life on that basis.”
But Mr Malkinson hit back at her remarks, branding them “shameless”.
“Helen Pitcher’s attempt to portray herself as the victim here is shameless,” he said. “I know what it truly is like to be a scapegoat.
“I agree, however, that others need to be held accountable. The CCRC’s senior leadership, starting with the CEO, must also resign to pave the way for root-and-branch reform.”
Mr Malkinson repeated demands for Ms Pitcher to be fired and stripped of her OBE, which he made after the review of his case was published last July.
Independent panel
Following the review, Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, said Ms Pitcher was “unfit to fulfil her duties” and sought her removal from the post.
Ms Mahmood set up an independent panel that found on Friday, by a majority of two to one, that Ms Pitcher should be removed.
The panel noted that Ms Pitcher, whose OBE is for services to business, was a “credible and competent individual” who was not in post when the watchdog rejected Mr Malkinson’s earlier appeals for a review of his case.
However, it concluded that poor judgments, including not apologising promptly to Mr Malkinson when his conviction was quashed, had eroded public confidence in the watchdog. The panel found Ms Pitcher relied too heavily on the CCRC’s senior leadership and should have challenged colleagues more robustly over failings in the case.
The CCRC twice rejected Mr Malkinson’s appeals. Files obtained by the 57-year old showed the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) knew forensic testing in 2007 had identified a male DNA profile on the victim’s vest-top that did not match his own.
An internal log of Mr Malkinson’s first application to the CCRC in 2009 showed the body raised the cost of further testing and argued it would be unlikely to overturn the conviction.
Ms Pitcher was criticised for not facing the public to answer questions about the scandal and refused to resign after the independent review found a catalogue of failings.
The Ministry of Justice welcomed Ms Pitcher’s resignation, saying in a statement: “The Lord Chancellor established an independent panel to consider Helen Pitcher’s role as chair of the CCRC.
“We welcome her resignation. Given the importance of the CCRC’s work, we will appoint an interim chair as quickly as possible who will be tasked with conducting a full and thorough review of how the organisation operates.”