Family of Manchester Arena attack victim say he was “failed” by MI5
“The fact was that this could and should have been prevented and we just can’t get over that"
By Nick Reilly
The father of a man who died in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack has said his family feel “badly failed” by MI5.
Twenty-two people were murdered and scores more injured when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated an explosive device in the venue’s foyer as fans left an Ariana Grande concert on May 22, 2017.
Now, the security service has come in for heavy criticism from Paul Hett – whose 29-year-old son Martyn was among those killed in the attack.
Mr Hett told the BBC he “can’t understand” why Abedi was not classed as a person of interest by the security services before the attack. He previously believed his son was “extremely unlucky” and “just in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
“Now we know that wasn’t the case,” he said. “The fact was that this could and should have been prevented and we just can’t get over that.”
A public inquiry into the attack has so far revealed that Abedi was assessed as being appropriate for investigation by M15 and was due for referral only nine days after the attack.
Abedi also returned to the UK from Libya just four days before the attack, with a senior M15 officer admitting he should have been questioned shortly after arrival.
Mr Hett criticised the failures and went on to explain how Abedi had “at least eight” terrorist contacts.
“He also visited a convicted terrorist in prison on two occasions,” he said.
“If he’d have been classed as a person of interest, he would have been stopped and searched. [It’s] highly likely they would have found something in his personal luggage or on his person that would have led to them knowing that he was going to try and commit a terrorist attack.”
He has also criticised the arena’s operators SMG, its security company Showsec and British Transport Police.
Mr Hett was speaking ahead of an ITV documentary about the atrocity. Paying tribute to his also paid tribute to his son.
“He was so full of life, so effervescent,” he said. “He inspired everyone he came in contact with.He was an amazing lad.”