- The Ministry of Justice has launched an urgent investigation after sensitive court files regarding victims, survivors, and families of the July 2024 Southport dance class attack were accessed without authorisation by court staff.
- This security failure follows a separate data breach investigation by the North West Ambulance Service into whether its staff inappropriately accessed the medical records of the Southport victims.
- The parents of an injured child expressed their devastation at the breaches, demanding that those responsible be sacked and calling for full transparency regarding how their daughter's information was compromised.
- Fletchers Solicitors, representing 22 of the 23 surviving children, called for an independent government investigation into the voyeuristic culture across public services, accusing bodies of delaying breach disclosures.
- The Ministry of Justice apologised for the unacceptable access, reported the incident to the Information Commissioner's Office, and confirmed that the Lord Chancellor is overseeing the urgent probe.
