Unsolved Murders 1555A/21
Request
Could you please send me details on the number of unsolved murders and/or murders being reviewed by the force’s Serious Crime Review Group since 1997?
For each murder could you let me know:
- The date of the murder
- The age of the victim
- The ethnicity of the victim, and
- Where possible the name of the victim
Response
Please find our response enclosed.
In relation to details on the number of unsolved murders since 1997, please see attachment 1555A/21.
In relation to the number of unsolved murders currently being reviewed, this letter represents a Refusal Notice for the withheld information. The information is exempt by virtue of the following exemptions:
Section 30(1)(a)(b) – Investigations and proceedings
Section 38(1)(a)(b) – Health and safety
Section 40(2) – Personal information
These exemptions and explanatory notes are shown here:
In line with Sections 30 and 38 above, I am required to complete a Prejudice Test/Public Interest Test (PIT) on disclosure. Please find this PIT attached (943A_PIT).
Should information relevant to this request exist it would pertain to the personal data of any individual involved in matters leading up to and surrounding the deceased’s death and/or any other individuals connected/related to the deceased. Therefore, it is exempt from disclosure and the exemption that applies to this type of information is Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Section 40(2) is an absolute and class-based exemption if to release the information exists would breach the third party’s data protection rights. In this case, to release this personal information would not constitute fair processing of the data. As this exemption is class based I am not required to identify the harm in disclosure and in this instance, I believe that the right to privacy outweighs any public interest in release.