A father’s 35-year battle for justice gets renewed hope after meeting with a Welsh government minister to seek a new investigation.
Will Powell met Jo Stevens, the Secretary of State for Wales. He brought Dr. Michael Powers KC, a legal expert. They want a new investigation into Robbie’s death, and Stevens promised support. She will talk to the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Justice.
Stevens acknowledged the case is important, as it led to “Robbie’s Law” in 2014. This law makes public groups be open and clear about mistakes. Dr. Powers called it a huge injustice and said only an inquiry will reveal the full truth. It needs to hold people responsible.
Robbie Powell was ten. He died from medical neglect in 1990, and his dad, William, seeks answers. Robbie’s condition wasn’t diagnosed or treated correctly. William and his wife Diane are deeply affected.
Robbie had Addison’s disease, an illness which stops adrenal glands from working well. Doctors suspected this in 1989. Robbie saw five doctors seven times near the end, but they failed to test or treat him.
The NHS admitted negligence, which happened at Morriston Hospital in Swansea. However, police found too little evidence for charges. Some doctors worked for the police too, causing conflict of interest concerns.
William Powell pushed for a new look at the case. A detective found evidence of falsified documents, and a secretary admitted to typing a false referral note. This made Robbie’s care seem better than it was.
In 2003, the Crown Prosecution Service saw negligence, forgery and obstruction. They chose not to press charges, stating that too much time had passed. Mr. Powell says no one has been held accountable, though many reviews have occurred.
Sir Rob Behrens wants a public inquiry and calls it a terrible case of failure. William Powell talks about the pain. The loss and the fight pushed him to the edge. He and his wife thought about ending their lives.
He has PTSD, and she takes sedatives. Robbie died in 1990 because his Addison’s wasn’t treated. A 1992 appeal failed. It involved claims of altered documents.
In 1995, the Welsh Office admitted it had key records. Investigations showed wrongdoing between 1996-2003. A 2024 review found CPS failings but gave no solutions. The Crown Prosecution Service apologized and said the case handling was poor.
They admitted that the handling might have stopped a prosecution and sent condolences to Robbie’s father.