{"id":1427,"date":"2026-02-09T18:05:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T18:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=1427"},"modified":"2026-02-09T18:05:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T18:05:26","slug":"police-apologise-to-surviving-victim-of-suffolk-strangler-steve-wright-uk-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=1427","title":{"rendered":"Police apologise to surviving victim of ‘Suffolk Strangler’ Steve Wright | UK News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Suffolk Police has apologised to the only surviving victim of serial killer Steve Wright over how she feels her case was dealt with – but refused to commit to an inquiry.<\/p>\n

Wright, known as the Suffolk Strangler, was jailed last week<\/strong><\/a> for the murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall, who disappeared on 19 September 1999 in a village on the outskirts of Felixstowe.<\/p>\n

Only the night before, Wright had attempted to abduct newlywed Emily Doherty, then aged 22, who ran, hid and sought refuge in a couple’s house to escape.<\/p>\n

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\n Steve Wright. Pic: Suffolk Constabulary\/PA
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Ms Doherty told Sky News last week<\/strong><\/a> how Wright tried to kidnap her in Felixstowe, and how she was made to feel like a “silly little girl” after reporting the incident to police.<\/p>\n

And she said officers failed to follow it up with a full investigation even after Ms Hall’s body was later found.<\/p>\n

Wright went on to murder five women in the Ipswich area in 2006, and on Friday was jailed for murdering Ms Hall and trying to abduct Ms Doherty after admitting<\/strong><\/a> both crimes.<\/p>\n

Ms Doherty told Sky News: “You can’t help thinking, if they had taken me seriously, Vicky could have survived, but certainly if they had found him sooner the five other women would still be here.”<\/p>\n

Assistant Chief Constable of Suffolk Police Alice Scott said: “We’re really sorry that Emily doesn’t feel that she had the service she wanted back in 1999.”<\/p>\n

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\n Victoria Hall. Pic: Suffolk Police\/PA
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Ms Scott said the information Ms Doherty gave to officers was “part of the circumstantial evidence that has enabled the constabulary” to secure Steve Wright’s conviction last week<\/strong><\/a> for the murder of Ms Hall, and Ms Doherty’s abduction.<\/p>\n

However, when asked if Suffolk Police would back an inquiry, Ms Scott only said “we will review where we’re at to see if there’s anything we can learn from this case”.<\/p>\n

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\n Assistant Chief Constable of Suffolk Police Alice Scott
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Ms Doherty told Sky News’ Emma Birchley<\/strong><\/a> that “the damage has been done,” but that Ms Hall’s family “need to know why they didn’t get answers sooner”.<\/p>\n

“There would be people still alive. There would be families not grieving now. It has been troubling me for 26 years.”<\/p>\n

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Despite apologising, Ms Scott insisted that “the constabulary was appropriately resourced at the time” of the original investigation and “support was provided when it was required”.<\/p>\n

Though she admitted that “it was probably one of the biggest cases at the time that the constabulary had experienced”.<\/p>\n

The assistant chief constable also confirmed that Wright is not an active suspect in any unsolved crimes, but that the force remained “open-minded”.<\/p>\n

The senior officer said the force would “absolutely” take a report like Ms Doherty’s seriously if it were made today – saying that advances in technology, forensics and CCTV would assist any modern investigation.<\/p>\n

Read more from Sky News:
Nursery worker guilty of rape and sexual assault against toddlers<\/a>
Trump blasts Bad Bunny’s show as ‘worst ever’ Super Bowl<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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