Looking at the Austrian case, it is inevitable that we ask ourselves “Could this happen here? We all like to think not, but can you rule it out?

Whenever a person is reported missing in the UK a search of the home address is a priority. There are many occasions recorded over the years where the missing person has been found subsequently in the home, missed by the search, and as a result the UK police are very thorough in their searching techniques. There is a team of specialist search officers in every force in the UK and their expertise is of the highest standards.

It is astonishing that the Austrian police apparently took Mr Fritzl’s word when reporting his daughter missing and failed to satisfy themselves that the missing person was not there. This simply would not happen here and a search would be conducted, particularly where children and young people are involved.

When one examines the notorious cases of child abuse in this country, the most frequent cause of the failure to identify it is a lack of communication between agencies. This is sometimes attributed to poor record keeping, but I find it staggering that a convicted arsonist and sexual offender is allowed to adopt children because no records of these convictions were kept.

We have learnt many lessons over the years and no system is foolproof. The Bichard inquiry, set up to address the failing of record keeping in respect of Ian Huntley, the Soham killer, addressed that point and has transformed the record keeping of UK forces with regard to sex offenders.

There are other areas that have improved and one of the benefits of a consolidated medical record for each individual will reinforce the checks and balances on cases of abuse. I do not believe such adoptions could happen here.

It is difficult to understand the wife’s role in all of this. It is reported that she has been questioned as a witness and a psychiatrist is reported to have said: “It is clear she had no knowledge of the terrible fate of her daughter.”

If this case had been here I am sure a different approach would have been taken and she would have been questioned in custody. There seems reasonable grounds to suspect her of some involvement and knowledge of the circumstances of her daughter’s situation and I would want to question her at length with her lawyer and in custody.

Is it possible the neighbours didn’t suspect anything? Unfortunately yes, it is. We know not what goes on behind closed doors and our right to privacy in our own home is rightly sacrosanct. Fred West is the classic example though — the neighbours apparently never suspected a thing.

— Former Detective Chief Inspector Chris Stevenson led the investigation into the Soham murders

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