21 October 2021

Published 21 October 2021

Relatives received an update on the progress of the ongoing criminal investigation when the latest Family Forum was held on Wednesday 20 October 2021.

The event at the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul in Fareham, which was also streamed live to those unable to attend in person, was the first physical forum held since February 2020 due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

It was hosted by Bishop James Jones and included updates from Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Jerome of Operation Magenta and Nick Price of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Also present was Sonya Baylis of the National Crime Agency, who spoke about the role of the medical expert panel who are assisting with the investigation, and Adrian Wright from the Victim Support charity.

DAC Jerome said: ‘The families affected by the deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital remain at the heart of our investigation, and I was delighted to be able to meet many of them in person again for the first time since before the pandemic started.

‘Operation Magenta is proceeding at pace and we remain committed to carrying out a full and thorough investigation into the standard of care provided to their loved ones.

‘Our relationship with the families is extremely important to us and we will continue to do everything we can to build trust and confidence among them, as well as keep them updated on the progress of our enquiries.’