Suffolk Police face investigation over Victoria Hall murder case

Suffolk Police are to investigate their handling of the initial inquiry into the 1999 murder of Victoria Hall. This decision follows a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) concerning the investigation and disclosure of evidence between 1999 and 2001. The IOPC has directed the force's professional standards department to conduct this internal review.

Victoria Hall, 17, disappeared on September 19, 1999, and her body was found five days later. Adrian Bradshaw was charged in December 2000 but was acquitted in 2001 after a trial. The investigation into police conduct will examine events and decisions made during this period.

Recently, Steve Wright confessed to Victoria Hall's kidnap and killing. Wright was already serving a life sentence for the murders of five women in Ipswich in 2006. He was sentenced to an additional 40 years for Victoria's murder. The review into the original investigation will consider whether earlier actions could have prevented Wright's subsequent crimes.

Wright had also attempted to kidnap Emily Doherty the night before Victoria Hall's murder. Doherty reported that police did not take her seriously at the time. Despite police identifying Wright's vehicle from Doherty's description, he was not apprehended then.