AFTER months of campaigning, Nick Smith MP has welcomed the announcement there will be an Independent Review into the alleged abuse which led to Operation Jasmine, one of the most intensive police investigations ever undertaken in Wales.

Confirmed by First Minister Carwyn Jones, the Independent Review will look into the alleged abuse and neglect of over 100 older people living in care homes in the South Wales Valleys alleged to have taken place between 1996 and 2001.

Mr Smith has been working hard in Parliament to change care home laws, while working with the Deputy Minister for Social Services and Older People’s Commissioner to secure an inquiry.

Speaking after the announcement, he said: “When I met the families affected by the collapse of Operation Jasmine in March, two things were clear.
“They wanted answers and they wanted justice.

“Without the bold decision by the First Minister today, these families would have been let down by the system.

“Their pain and guilt over what happened to their loved ones deserved a response, and I cannot welcome this response enough.

“From the first time I saw the disturbing images of wickedness at these care homes, I knew it was a story that needed to be told and for real lessons to be learned from it.

“In the months since, I “But it is the tireless work by these families that has made this possible today.

“We will no longer have to talk about 12,000 tonnes of evidence lying locked in a warehouse, or a criminal case lying on file.

“Instead we will have an inquiry that will tell the public the full story, and hopefully spare generations to come from tragic stories such as this.”

For more information, visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25218006