The family of Yousef Makki are “hopeful” that a full inquest into the teenager’s death will still go ahead despite a police watchdog dropping a probe into Greater Manchester Police’s handling of the investigation.
Greater Manchester Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct after Yousef was stabbed to death in Hale Barns in March 2019, but that inquiry has now been halted.
IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe said it had found “no potential misconduct by any individual officer”.
“We also assessed GMP’s own review of its murder investigation and acknowledge a number of changes to its procedures will be implemented as a result of learning recommendations made,” she said.
A second investigation involving Cheshire Police is ongoing, and an inquest into Yousef’s death cannot be held until both IOPC investigations have been completed.
A statement from Yousef’s family said they would be seeking to meet GMP “to understand their findings and hopefully be reassured that lessons really have been learned”.
It said it remained “cautiously optimistic” that the findings from the Cheshire Police investigation would provide “much-needed accountability from the authorities, at a time where our confidence feels like it has hit an all time low”.
They added: “At present, the Coronavirus outbreak is making it extremely difficult for families like ours to get justice for their loves ones, in part due to the delay in legal proceedings and the need for us all to self-isolate.
“The added isolation we are all experiencing at this time does, on bad days, prove challenging to remain head strong – but with our extended family, friends, supporters and legal team remaining committed to fighting to get justice for Yousef, we remain hopeful that a full inquest into Yousef’s death will go ahead to uncover the answers our family so desperately deserve, in the short term. The fight must go on.”
Josh Molnar was acquitted of Yousef’s murder and manslaughter by a jury after a trial at Manchester Crown Court in July.
He admitted lying to police and possession of a knife and sentenced to 16 months in custody, and was released in February.
