Man who spent 17 years in prison for violent rape could have conviction overturned

A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of rape – a crime for which another man claims he spent 17 years wrongfully imprisoned. Andrew Malkinson, aged 57, could be

allowed to appeal against his 2003 conviction for the first time after his legal team brought new DNA evidence to light. In a further development, Greater Manchester Police

revealed on Tuesday that a 48-year-old man from Essex had been arrested last month on suspicion of the rape. That suspect has since been released under investigation, police

said. Malkinson was handed a life sentence in 2003 and had twice been turned down after applying for his case to be reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) –

the body responsible for investigating alleged miscarriages of justice. But since his release on licence from HMP North Sea Camp in 2020, advancements in scientific

techniques have allowed his legal team at the charity Appeal to provide the commission with evidence which has cast doubt on his conviction. This new evidence revealed the

presence of unknown male DNA in samples taken from the victim and her clothing, and the CCRC was then able to identify an alternative suspect via a search on the National DNA

Database. The commission has now permitted the case to be referred to the Court of Appeal, where judges will decide whether to allow an appeal against the

conviction. In a statement issued by legal charity Appeal, Malkinson said: “I am innocent. Finally, I have the chance to prove it thanks to the perseverance of my legal team

at Appeal.