"It was wrong, but I am not angry"
"I am only concerned about returning to my family"
A man who spent 38 years in prison in the UK on charges of rape and murder has been released after new DNA evidence proved his innocence. The period he spent in prison after his arrest totaled 38 years, 7 months, and 21 days, marking the longest wrongful imprisonment in UK history due to a judicial error.
According to the BBC on the 13th (local time), the London Court of Appeal overturned the 1987 conviction of Peter Sullivan (68), who had been found guilty of murdering Diane Sindall, a 21-year-old woman attacked on her way home from work in Merseyside, England, in August 1986.
He was able to secure his release thanks to new DNA evidence. A new DNA test on male bodily fluids collected and preserved from the crime scene at the time raised the possibility that someone other than Sullivan was the perpetrator. As a result, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) referred the case back to the court last year. The media explained that, at the time of the incident, there was no technology available to conduct DNA testing on the collected bodily fluids.
The court stated, "There is no evidence that more than one person was involved in the crime, nor that the bodily fluids resulted from any act unrelated to the incident," and concluded, "Recognizing the new DNA evidence is both reasonable and necessary for the sake of justice." Accordingly, Sullivan was released after 38 years, 7 months, and 21 days in custody. This marks the longest period of wrongful imprisonment due to a judicial error in the UK.
Appearing via video link from prison, Sullivan covered his mouth with one hand and wept upon being informed of his acquittal. In a statement read by his lawyer, Sullivan said, "What happened to me was profoundly wrong, but it does not change the fact that all of this occurred because of a terrible loss of life." He added, "I am neither angry nor bitter. I am only concerned about returning to my beloved family to live out the remainder of my life." He also quoted a Bible verse: "The truth will set you free."
Sullivan was initially identified as a suspect based on eyewitness testimony. The day after the incident, part of the victim's clothing was found burning, and a witness reported seeing Sullivan emerging from nearby bushes, leading to his arrest. According to the media, Sullivan's statements during the investigation were inconsistent, and he even confessed to the murder during interrogation. However, Sullivan's defense argued that he had a learning disability and was questioned without a lawyer or appropriate guardian present. When he was later allowed to have legal representation, he recanted his confession, stating that it had been fabricated. Sullivan continued to maintain his innocence even after his conviction and requested a review of his case by the CCRC in 2008, but was denied. It was only in 2021 that DNA testing technology had advanced sufficiently to re-examine the evidence, ultimately leading to his exoneration and release.
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