Rosie May report slams officers

Rosie May Storrie was suffocated at a family Christmas party in 2003

Police and prosecutors have been criticised in an independent report into the murder of Leicestershire schoolgirl Rosie May Storrie.

Paul Smith, of Sedgebrook, Lincolnshire, killed 10-year-old Rosie May in 2003, when he was 18.

A review has highlighted three alleged incidents involving Smith and other girls prior to the murder.

Two were not reported but charges were dropped in a third case, involving the alleged kidnap of a 16-year-old girl.

The report, by the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board, said: "It is clear that no single agency had full knowledge of all three alleged incidents, so opportunities for professionals to identify Paul's incrementally risky behaviour were limited."

Now we are in possession of the facts we are outraged and we feel let down by the authorities Graham Storrie

It said that although he was known to police, the local mental health board and the education authority, none of the agencies had the "full picture".

Smith was not charged with abducting another girl at gunpoint two years before Rosie-May's murder, because of confusion between police and lawyers, the report found.

The teenager was eventually jailed for life for murder in October 2004, and the judge ordered him to serve at least 14 years.

The jury at Nottingham Crown Court heard Rosie May was found face down on a bed at the family home in Normanton as her parents chatted with guests at a Christmas party.

She died a day later in hospital.

'Bungling' investigation

Speaking after the report's publication on Wednesday, Rosie May's father Graham Storrie said: "It highlights the bungling investigation by the police and CPS which resulted in a complete failure in the duty of care to protect Rosie May.

"Now we are in possession of the facts we are outraged and we feel let down by the authorities.

"We feel that if a prosecution had gone ahead, with us living in a tight-knit community, we would have been aware of this dangerous monster.

The stark reality is that they raised a killer Mary Storrie

"We would have been able to take steps to protect our daughter," he said.

Lincolnshire chief crown prosecutor Colin Chapman said it was always easy to make the right decisions in hindsight.

"Weighing up the public interest is a matter of looking at a number of factors and not just the serious nature of the offence," he said.

"The CPS lawyers do discontinue serious offences on public interest grounds from time to time, very serious offences.

"This was a serious offence but there were other factors that had to be weighed against that. But we are looking at this with the benefit of hindsight."

The couple also accused Smith's family of a "lack of moral responsibility" by keeping his behaviour quiet.

Mrs Mary Storrie, 45, said: "We feel they are quite clearly in denial, about these previous incidents and about the murder.

"The stark reality is that they raised a killer."

Paul Smith's parents did not attend the hearing, although invited.

They have always maintained he was not responsible for Rosie May's death.

His mother Susan said: "From day one we have supported Paul, we were at the party, we know where Paul was. We've been through the trial and we are fully convinced of Paul's innocence."