HET Review Summary Report into the death of William Francis ...

HET has established dedicated tracing teams who liaise with many
agencies and support groups from within Northern Ireland and other
parts of the world. Once found, families are seen or spoken to by our
Family Contact Officers, who explain the objectives of the HET and
ascertain family wishes and/or concerns.
Original case papers are retrieved, relevant 'Open Source' material is
identified, analysts start work on assessments of patterns or links, and
any exhibits remaining are brought out for re-examination using the
latest scientific techniques.
R e v i e w
The case is passed to one of our teams, either an internal or external
team in line with the wishes of the family. The team assesses the case
against the Review Factors outlined above, and makes recommendations
for further investigation based on issues that emerge from the review
process. Senior managers, at a Review panel, consider these
recommendations. The review panel will authorise the investigation of any
lines of enquiry that are necessary.
Focussed Re-investigation
Re-investigations are initially focussed on the new opportunities
identified to gather further evidence. The whole case is kept under
review whilst these are completed, to monitor whether developments
change our understanding or perception of existing evidence. Focussed
investigations can be incremental, leading to a wider review if
appropriate. This means that if our work uncovers new information or
evidence we re-assess the whole investigation to take account of it.
If sufficient additional evidence is found, case files will be submitted to
the Public Prosecution Service for consideration. At the end of this
process, whether or not a court case follows, the file is passed back to
the Family Contact Unit and enters the last phase of resolution.
27/5/2010
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