The father of the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing said M15 are 'not fit to keep us safe' as its boss said he was 'profoundly sorry' the tragic attack was not stopped.
The families of Manchester Arena bombing victims slammed the institutions and organisations cited in the inquiry into the atrocity which led to the deaths of 22 people on May 22, 2017. There was 'a significant missed opportunity to take action' on the part of MI5, the chairman found in the third and final public inquiry report.
Andrew Roussos, whose daughter Saffie-Rose, eight, was killed in the blast, said hearing about how the 'tragedy might have been avoided' was 'devastating' for families involved.
READ MORE 'Shame on you all': Devastated families of the Arena bombing victims speak out
He said: “Our beautiful little girl lost her life because of the failings of the security services. We all heard the evidence and knew there were failings, but hearing how this tragedy might have been avoided is devastating for us all.
“This was a cataclysmic failure, and it is clear from all of the evidence we have heard about Abedi that there were many opportunities for the security services to have ensured the bombing never happened.
“In my view the fact that MI5 failed to stop him despite all of the red flags available demonstrates they are not fit to keep us safe and therefore not fit for purpose.”
The security service’s director general, Ken McCallum, issued an apology after the public inquiry into the May 2017 atrocity found it might have been prevented if MI5 had acted more swiftly on a piece of intelligence received in the months before.
One of two key pieces of intelligence about suicide bomber Salman Abedi - both of which weren't passed on to police by MI5 - 'gave rise to the real possibility of obtaining information that might have led to actions which prevented the attack', revealed the report. Had investigations taken place, Abedi could have been stopped at Manchester Airport on his return to the UK from Libya just days before the bombing, or been followed to where the bomb was being kept.
In March 2014, Abedi became a subject of interest (SOI) for MI5 over phone contact with another SOI, but his case was closed four months later when he was deemed 'low risk'. He was also identified on six occasions as a direct or indirect contact of suspected extremists from December 2013 to April 2017.
In his 207-page report, Sir John said: “The delay in providing the report led to the missing of an opportunity to take a potentially important investigative action. Based on everything the Security Service knew or should have known, I am satisfied that such an investigative action would have been a proportionate and justified step to take. This should have happened.”
He said that if the intelligence had been followed up immediately it could have led to Abedi, 22, being followed to the parked Nissan Micra where he stored the explosive, and which he later moved to a rented city centre flat to assemble.
Following Thursday’s publication of the report, bereaved families read statements outside Manchester Magistrates' Court, where they said they hoped 'lessons would be learned' following the atrocity.
Caroline Curry lost her son Liam Curry, 19, who was with his partner Chloe Rutherford, 17. She spoke outside court stood alongside Chloe's parents, Lisa and Mark Rutherford.
"All we as families have asked for from day one is the truth, acknowledgment of failures, and a determination to make sure that failures are fixed so that next time, because there will be a next time, but hopefully next time there won’t be as many families going through the utter heartbreak we have had to endure for the last five years, nine months, one week, and one day," she said as she broke down in tears
"Forgiveness will never be an option for such evil intentions and those that played any part in the murder of our children will never ever get forgiveness from top to bottom, MI5 to the associates of the attackers. We will always believe that you all played a part in the murder of our children."
Figen Murray lost her son Martyn Hett, 29. She has since been campaigning for 'Martyn's Law' for better security at events. She said: "Today’s not the day for looking back, today is about moving forward and for everyone concerned to learn from their mistake and take heed of the recommendations. Terrorism continues to plague our society and as a nation we need to be better prepared to deal with it. It always seems a step or two ahead of us, we need to catch up fast.
"We are not here to point fingers, the bottom line is everyone who made mistakes, every service that was lacking on the night, every organisation who missed something in the lead up to the attack is now aware of their failings this brings about the opportunity to make those necessary changes and improvements to avoid another atrocity. To fail doing so again will prove to be another catastrophic mistake."
Evidence into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the atrocity was heard in the city between September 7 2020 and February 15 2022. Two previous reports into the terror attack were issued by Sir John.
The first was in June 2021 and highlighted a string of 'missed opportunities' at the Arena venue to identify Abedi as a threat before he walked across the City Room foyer and detonated his shrapnel-laden device. Sir John’s second report last November delivered scathing criticism of the emergency services’ response to the bombing.
Following publication of his final report, Sir John said: “I can only hope that we achieve something by our efforts. That will only happen if those away from this inquiry can share in the desire of those who have taken part in it to make things better.
“Inevitably some of the changes that are needed will require money which is in short supply, but protecting the lives of the people of this country must be a high priority for any government.”
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