This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Family liaison in criminal investigations
29/05/2003
Proposals designed to put the needs of victims and their
families at the heart of criminal investigations are among
recommendations made in a report published today by Her
Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
The report, Relatively Speaking - A Thematic Inspection
of Family Liaison in Scotland, was prompted by a
recommendation made by Dr Raj Jandoo in his report on the
death of Surjit Singh Chhokar.
The report highlights the role of family liaison in a
murder enquiry and also examines the needs of the families
of people who have died in other circumstances such as cot
death, road death, industrial accident, non-suspicious
death and serious hate crime.
The Report makes a total of seventeen recommendations.
These include:
- That each force identifies a senior officer or
officers to undertake strategic responsibilities for
the formulation and development of family liaison
policy.
- That each force appoint an officer of supervisory
rank as Family Liaison Co-ordinator, and that the role
is a sole or principal duty for the officer.
- That ACPOS publish nationally agreed criteria for
the deployment of Family Liaison Officers.
- That ACPOS ensure officers tasked with family
liaison in all types of death are trained to national
standards.
- That forces review their Victim Support Scotland
(VSS) referral policies with a view to maximising the
numbers of bereaved families who are put in touch with
VSS.
Commenting on the Report, Sir Roy Cameron, Her Majesty's
Chief Inspector of Constabulary said:
"On a daily basis police officers come into contact with
relatives of the victims of a variety of traumatic, and
often tragic, incidents. These are literally life-changing
events for relatives, and coming to terms with them can
undoubtedly be helped or hindered by the relationships
developed with the representatives of the various agencies
they have to deal with as the investigation and legal
processes move forward."
"Traditionally, legal processes of this nature have been
undertaken in the public interest rather than the interests
of the victims or their families. As a consequence, those
persons who were very much part of the crime or occurrence,
victims and their families, could feel detached and ignored
by the enquiry itself. More recently, however, there is an
acceptance of a role for victims in the process - that they
have a right to be made aware of developments and advised,
if not consulted, on decisions made which affect their
case.
"In the last four years, family liaison has moved on
rapidly and there has been significant progress within the
Scottish Police Service. A new plateau has been established
for minimum standards of service in the interactions
between the police and the public. However, if a victim-
centred approach to the investigation of crime, is to
develop further, the resource implications for the police
service will be significant, but the 'value added' to
victim support will be substantial."
Hugh Henry, Deputy Justice Minister said:
"I welcome the study by HMIC and I am sure their
recommendations will be given careful consideration by the
Police. The interests of victims and their families is
paramount in the investigation of a crime. It is right that
they should be at the heart of a criminal enquiry because
how a case is handled will have consequences for the rest
of their lives.
"The effects of trauma on relatives of victims of
violent death cannot be underestimated, which is why an
effective support network, with fully trained liaison
officers, offering a range of expertise, is essential.
Family liaison is increasingly recognised as an integral
part of police work and having national guidance and
standards in place will support further work in this
field."
During the study, HMIC undertook:
- Visits to police forces to examine fully liaison
arrangements in a small number of high profile
cases;
- Circulation of comprehensive protocol
questionnaires to Scottish police forces followed by
force visits and interviews with senior managers and
family liaison practitioners;
- The distribution of a questionnaire to every
trained FLO in the Scottish Police Service
- Structured meetings with senior staff from Crown
Office, Victim Information and Advice, Victim Support
Scotland, Scottish Cot Death Trust, and the Commission
for Racial Equality;
- Consultation with voluntary groups and other
agencies; and
- Qualitative research with families who have
experienced the services of Family Liaison Officers, to
establish how far their needs were met.
Family liaison is a formalised relationship between the
police service and a bereaved family. While dealing with
families of victims is a traditional role for the police,
codified arrangements on how this should be undertaken are
recent developments.
Dr Raj Jandoo's report on the death of Surjit Singh
Chhokar, and the subsequent liaison between his family and
the criminal justice agencies, included the recommendation
that HMIC give early priority to conducting a thematic
inspection on police family liaison.
This study, which was undertaken by Her Majesty's
Assistant Inspector of Constabulary, Sandy Forrest, flowed
directly from Dr Jandoo's recommendation but its focus is
much wider than the issue of family liaison arrangements
for murder cases and also examines the needs of the
families of people who have died in other circumstances
where there has been police involvement.
The Report will be available at
www.scotland.gov.uk/hmic