Before the late night press conference, Chief Constable Kennedy said she had a 90-minute discussion with the deputy branch crown prosecutor and their local communications team for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who were “very unhappy” at the suggestion to include his religion, and based on that advice, did not disclose it to the public.
“It was very, very clear within that 90 minute conversation that the Crown Prosecution Service locally were very unhappy at our suggestion of including that so based on that advice, we didn’t include the suspect’s religion in my press statement that I did at about midnight that evening, and we didn’t include it in the press release that went out.”.
But she added: “I’m subsequently aware that national CPS did email back into our Merseyside Police’s comms team at half past 11 to say that they were happy for us to include the religion, but we, by that time, we were downstairs and we were preparing for the press conference so that actually wasn’t seen by ourselves.”.
Asked if she felt there was not a consistent approach between national and local CPS, the chief constable said she was taking direction from the deputy crown prosecutor who was “very clear” about her priority around getting justice, adding: “And right throughout I have not wanted to do anything that would compromise that justice.”.
Chief constable Serena Kennedy told MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee that she planned to include the detail in a press release and conference being held on July 31, when the force announced Rudakubana, then unnamed, had been charged.
