The mother of a young woman horrifically killed by a recently-released prisoner is calling for the demolition of the Argoed bail hostel where the attack took place.
Heartbroken mum Paula Yemm, 49, wants the bed and breakfast hotel pulled down after her daughter Cerys, 22, was discovered covered in blood inside.
But she was horrifically killed by the recently-released prisoner who stabbed her in the face and was covered in her blood when the hotel owner walked into their room.
Speaking for the first time since the killing, Paula wants to see the Sirhowy Arms hotel in Argoed, near Blackwood, pulled down.
Social worker Paula said: “So long as it’s there, it’s a reminder of what was taken away. If I have to fight to my dying day I will fight for that to be knocked down.”
A post mortem examination on Cerys carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Jones recorded a provisional cause of death as sharp force trauma to the face and neck.
It was reported Williams had carried out a a cannibal attack on Cerys and a full inquest is due to be held later this year into her death and that of Williams – who collapsed after being tasered by police.
Williams is believed to have been high on a cocktail of drugs after just being released from prison. He was tasered by police and died moments later after becoming “unresponsive”.
But Cerys’ family are still in the dark about details of her death in November last year.
Mrs Yemm told BBC Wales programme Week In Week Out: “I still know nothing – nothing at all.
“I don’t know where she was, who she was with and as much as I know how difficult knowing that information would be, I need to know.
“There are things I need to know: who made decisions to place him there and what, if any, risk assessments were completed, and what went wrong?”
Williams’ family have said that he had serious mental health issues and had recently been released from prison.
Mrs Mandy Miles, the owner of the hostel, defended her operation and said she was sent offenders in good faith and was never told what they had been convicted of.
William Graham, Conservative Welsh Assembly Member, is calling for an investigation into the local council’s handling of the case.
Mr Graham said: “This case highlights failures and in that case perhaps a serious case review is what is needed to identify what the failures are and look at the individuals involved – did they pursue their duty according to their specification, and if they haven’t done so then disciplinary action clearly must follow.”
For six years the hotel was used by the council to temporarily house homeless adults and a number of vulnerable teenagers – including care leavers.
Many of the adults had been to prison – others included people with mental health, drug and alcohol issues.
But after the deaths last November local residents used the Freedom of Information Act to demand answers from the council about what type of ex-offenders had been placed there.
Week In Week Out, which airs tonight on BBC One Wales at 10.35pm, has discovered that Caerphilly Council admitted it referred ten sexual and violent offenders who were homeless.
Mandy Miles insists she did not know beforehand. She says she has since cross-matched her records with local news reports on a number of offenders and discovered it included a rapist, a peeping tom and several paedophiles.
She says according to her records, the council also placed a vulnerable 17-year-old care leaver at her hotel at the same time as a convicted paedophile.
Mrs Miles has revealed she is is selling up the hotel and leaving.
She said: “I am leaving now, the whole lot is up for sale, it’s going to take me a long time to get over this.”
Campaign group Voices From Care are calling for an urgent review of the council’s handling of the case and a wider investigation by Welsh Government into the reason why so many young people, including many care leavers, are being sent to B&Bs across Wales.
Debbie Jones, CEO of Voices From Care says: “As a corporate parent you have a responsibility as a parent to a child that is in your care.
“They need to be immediately and urgently reviewed in terms of their practices.
“We need to call for a national review to look into – in particular Caerphilly – but I suspect this is a wider problem than just one local authority.”
The programme found that in the last five years, Welsh councils sent 755 homeless 16 and 17-year-olds to stay in B&Bs because there was nowhere else for them to go.
In England, councils have been told to stop sending 16 and 17-year-olds to B&Bs as they are deemed inappropriate.
In Wales, councils can leave them there for up to six weeks at a time while alternatives are sought.
Caerphilly Council refused to be interviewed for the programme but says it considers risk assessments from police and the probation service before sending ex-offenders to stay in temporary accommodation.
Week In Week Out, Tuesday, June 16, BBC One Wales, 10.35pm and on BBC iPlayer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05ysdk7
Call for white torture for the person who killed your daughter instead.
So Caerphilly Council refused to be interviewed. Where is the leader of the council Keith Reynolds – come on don’t shirk your responsibility. Disgraceful.