Family of Katie Simpson ‘have taken heart’ from report findings

By Rebecca Black and Jonathan McCambridge, Press Association

The family of murdered showjumper Katie Simpson have “taken heart” from the findings of a scathing review into the way her case was handled.

Simpson’s mother, Noeleen Mullan, was among those at Parliament Buildings in Belfast on Tuesday to hear Justice Minister Naomi Long make a statement to the Assembly on the review.

Simpson was initially assumed to have taken her own life, before Jonathan Creswell, 36, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

His trial ended in April 2024 after he took his own life.

On Tuesday an independent report found “institutional misogyny” contributed to “clear warning signs” being missed in the initial PSNI investigation.

It cited “systematic failures” and also criticised other bodies, including social services and the health service, over safeguarding, as well as within the equestrian sector.

Solicitor Kevin Winters said Simpson’s family have taken “heart and encouragement” from the findings of the report.

“It was a very, very, very difficult day and it was described as such by the members in the chamber as a difficult day,” he said.

“But speaking with the family in the immediate aftermath, they’ve taken an awful lot of heart and encouragement to hear that there’s so much positivity about what is being done and what can be done, and to hear so many probing questions, questions that raise real issues about what happened here in relation to Katie Simpson.”

The lawyer said engaging with the independent report had not been easy for the family.

He said: “It took a lot of commitment, it took a lot of patience and time, it took a lot of confidence to engage in it.

“Because it’s understandable that many of the family feel this real sense of frustration that issues which they thought were going to be buried for years have actually got a chance that they can be dealt with.”

He added that  Simpson’s family feel “very strongly” about a finding of institutionalised misogyny in the PSNI in relation to her death.

“There are a number of serious issues in this report emerging. One of the key ones is the institutionalised misogyny within the PSNI, which is called out very, very clearly here today in this report,” he said

“The family feel very, very strongly about that and want to put that on the record, and it’s one of the key areas that they’ve been looking to in terms of recommendations and what can be dealt with and how that can be dealt.

“The other issue as well is that this is multi-agency. It isn’t just PSNI-centric.

“There are a lot of agencies, including healthcare agencies and others, who don’t escape the wrath of Dr Melia’s report and her findings.

“The other issue as well is that there’s a huge engagement on matters and failings prior to the death of Katie, before her murder there were a litany of failings, failure to notice and take regard of other incidents, other criminal investigations that were instituted but were never joined up or linked up.

“And ultimately that played a very, very significant part in Katie’s death.”

Mullan said while they did not get justice, “I believe that people who think they’re above the law, you’re not above God’s law, no matter what you do, you will not get away with it”.

She also called for more safeguards around the equestrian world.

“I think girls’ love for horses is an awful drive for them and it’s very hard for young girls,” she said.

“I think other older girls that are in the industry really have to be looking around them, and looking after the young ones coming up, because there won’t be that many men who will.”