Murder of Lynette White in 1988

More than 30 years after the tragic death of Lynette White our thoughts as ever are with her friends and family. South Wales Police has been determined to find the truth about her murder in 1988 and investigations ultimately led to the conviction of Jeffrey Gafoor for her murder.

This was after a miscarriage of justice which affected the lives of many others and itself led to a series of investigations and reviews. South Wales Police has previously apologised to the original defendants in this case. We now have a far greater understanding of all the events leading to the original miscarriage. The same is true of the subsequent investigation of alleged police wrongdoing, leading to a trial that was discontinued in 2011. Since then this has received much scrutiny.

As a result of learning lessons from this miscarriage of justice, South Wales Police has transformed investigative practice and become a leading force in relation to reviewing major crime investigations.  In particular, our learning around the challenges of disclosure in the criminal justice system have led to recognised good practice that has been shared nationally.

This series of events has strengthened the determination of the force to constantly drive its investigative standards up.  However,  above all we remember Lynette who tragically died on Valentine’s Day in 1988. She is not forgotten.