HAMPSHIRE police say lessons have been learned following the release of Sean Hodgson after DNA proved he could not have raped and killed Teresa De Simone.
It follows questions being raised about why the confessions of several people concerning the rape and murder had never come to light before now.
As reported, police came across the paperwork that detailed that information by chance as they searched for historical case papers from the investigation which have never been found.
Although unable to defend decisions taken by police chiefs at the time because the current officers were not involved, they have pointed to the advances in science that have since changed criminal investigations.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil McTavish said: “Lessons have been and were already being learned. The acquittal of Sean Hodgson was not a miscarriage of justice on police part, as was said in court, but on the basis of his conviction by jury.
Teresa's parents talk about the search to identify their daughter's killer
“We are now 30 years on and do things considerably differently, with the benefit of DNA science that was not available in the 1980s.”
He added that admissions made by people during murder investigations “were not entirely unusual”.
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