Pray that after 58 years of waiting, lost boy Keith Bennett may finally come home…

His lonely grave could be found as Patel calls for Brady files to be made public…

Home Secretary Priti Patel is supporting police with new measures which could finally see Ian Brady’s ‘secret’ files exposed to the public.

The new powers could help police track down human remains and bring closure to families whose loved ones vanished.

The need for these powers was brought to light by the horrifyingly tragic story of Keith Bennett who died at the hands of evil Brady and his twisted lover Myra Hindley.

They hid his body away on the moors near Saddleworth and they both took Keith’s final resting place to their own graves.

But Brady’s secret files, locked in suitcases in a storage unit might soon be released to Keith’s brother Alan and the public.

Due to what is described as a legislative gap, police officers have been unable to access information put in storage by Ian Brady prior to his death.

Police have applied for a warrant to open the cases, but this has so far been refused by the courts on the grounds that any evidence in the suitcases cannot be used in criminal proceedings, as Brady is dead so cannot be prosecuted. The executors of Brady’s estate have declined to hand them over to the Bennett family.

Keith vanished in 1964, when he was just 12 years old. Ian Brady and Myra Hindley later admitted to his murder, but his remains have never been found.

The proposed new powers would give police the legislative basis they need to apply for a warrant to access this information. The granting of any such warrant would be a matter for the courts.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I can only imagine the years of pain and turmoil that the Bennett family have faced following Keith’s tragic murder – no family should have to suffer the heartache of not knowing where their loved ones are buried.

“I am determined to give police the powers they need to access all available evidence and hopefully bring some closure to families in cases like these.”

Alan Bennett said: “Keith’s story will be known to many, but what may not be known is the struggle which our family has gone through to try and seek closure.

“I have fought long and hard on behalf of my brother to bring about the necessary changes and to ensure his case is not forgotten.

“I want to ensure a positive legacy for Keith, so I was pleased to meet with the Home Secretary and to hear about the work being done to support my endeavours.”

The new powers will empower officers to seize evidence which they believe may help locate human remains outside of criminal proceedings, subject to a warrant. This would help in missing persons cases, suicides, and homicide cases where a suspect is known but cannot be convicted – for example, where the suspect is dead.

It is hoped that these powers will remedy the gap in the law and help provide closure to families when information comes to light about the location of their loved ones who have gone missing, or where people are presumed dead and their remains have not been found.

The measures will form part of a major forthcoming Bill to reform the criminal justice system and provide better support to police, victims, and the public.

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