Paedophile rockstar Ian Watkins left free to rape children for five years after 'police ignored evidence' from Doncaster witness

Three police officers could be sacked after leaving former rockstar Ian Watkins free to rape and abuse children for five years, after allegedly ignoring a key witness from Doncaster.
Former Lost Prophets singer, Ian Watkins, is serving a 35 year sentence after admitting to a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan's baby.Former Lost Prophets singer, Ian Watkins, is serving a 35 year sentence after admitting to a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan's baby.
Former Lost Prophets singer, Ian Watkins, is serving a 35 year sentence after admitting to a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan's baby.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has criticised South Wales Police for failing to investigate complaints made about Lostpropehts frontman, Ian Watkins, four years before his arrest.

Following an IPCC investigation, the findings of which were released in a report today, the IPCC has recommended that a detective sergeant and two detective constables should face misconduct proceedings

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Watkins was jailed for 35 years in 2013 for child abuse, including the attempted rape of a baby, but his ex-girlfriend Joanna Mjadzelics, of Doncaster, had first called Welsh social services about him in 2008.

Miss Mjadzelics reported Watkins to police and social services in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 to raise the alarm over his child sex crimes.

Speaking to The Sun, Miss Mjadzelics said she went 'through hell' due to being forced to take action herself because officers 'couldn't be a***d' to investigate Watkins.

She said: "I was ignored by the police on multiple occasions. It is now clear that, had I been listened to, some children would not have come to harm at Watkins' hands.

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"The police have a lot to learn about how they treat credible witnesses and victims of abuse."

Miss Mjadzelics was cleared of child pornography charges last year, when a jury accepted that the 41-year-old was trying to entrap Watkins by collecting evidence of his sex offending.

During the trial, Cardiff Crown Court heard she about the attempts she made to report Watkins to police and social services over a four year period beginning in 2008. The court was also told how Mjadzelics embarked on a three-year campaign to try and bring him to justice.

As well as continuing to sleep with Watkins, she also risked jail by getting him to send indecent images of children and have online sex conversations about abusing children.

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The Mother-of-one insisted lurid chats as well as her apology to Watkins for threatening to report him were all an act to collect evidence.

She told police that Watkins had sent her images of a very young girl being raped, but police refused to act.

IPCC Commissioner for Wales, Jan Williams, said: “Having completed detailed investigations over recent months we have liaised with South Wales Police over our misconduct recommendations.

"We probed a substantial number of reports and allegations relating to Ian Watkins made over a four year period to establish exactly who knew what and when, and how police officers responded.

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"This has been a complex process. “We aim to issue our fuller findings, including our examination of the wider organisational response of South Wales Police, following the conclusion of the misconduct proceedings currently being arranged by the force.”

The IPCC is soon to submit its investigation report to South Yorkshire Police into how the force handled a report made in March 2012, which contained allegations against Watkins with potential evidence. Three officers face misconduct over the allegationa.