Emma Caldwell's family 'insulted' by decision not to investigate police over failures that left killer free for years
In the wake of the jailing of Iain Packer, for multiple rapes as well as Emma Caldwell's murder, her mother Margaret attacks the authorities, asking: "How many women have to die or be raped before our police service and criminal justice system is held to account."
Tuesday 5 March 2024 17:39, UK
Emma Caldwell's family have said they are insulted by the decision not to pursue criminal charges against any police officers involved in the investigation of her murder.
A solicitor representing the family issued a new statement following their meeting today with the First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, and Justice Secretary Angela Constance.
In it, they described the Crown Office's decision not to pursue criminal charges against police officers involved in the investigation as "insulting" and one that "contrasts sharply with the evidence".
It took a campaign for justice lasting almost two decades from Emma's murder in 2005, until former sign fitter Iain Packer, 51, was found guilty.
Packer was jailed for a minimum of 36 years in the High Court in Scotland, for Ms Caldwell's murder, as well as 11 rapes and 21 further charges, last week.
During the trial, a number of police failings became apparent as it emerged Packer had been accused of rape and violent attacks on women stretching back to 1990 - but police had never acted.
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Police apologised to Ms Caldwell's family, and Packer's other victims, but her mother Margaret Caldwell called for a criminal investigation to scrutinise authorities involved in the case
But speaking today, the family were left angry following the Crown Office's conclusion that it would not pursue anyone.
The family statement continued: "Women not only live in fear of violence on an everyday basis - they live in fear of those who police us - the fear of not being believed, of being dismissed as Emma was and the fear of abuse by men in power.
"How many women have to die or be raped before our police service and criminal justice system is held to account."
Mr Yousaf has said that a public inquiry into the investigation into Packer is "not off the table" and while Mrs Caldwell welcomed this, she said there could be no more delays.
She told the Sunday Mail: "I was 57 when Emma died and I'm 78 now. How long must I wait to be told exactly who failed Emma and why?"
Ms Caldwell, then 27 and a sex worker, had fallen into heroin addiction after her sister's death.
Packer had lured her from Glasgow's red-light district to a remote woodland 40 miles away, where he killed her and dumped her in a ditch in Limefield Woods, South Lanarkshire, before her body was found a month later.
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Police had multiple interactions with Packer following the murder, but despite him telling police he had been with Ms Caldwell "ten or 11 times" senior officers were said to have focused their attention on a group of four Turkish men - who were later cleared.
Then, in 2015, an investigation by the Sunday Mail named Packer as the "forgotten" suspect in the case and, three years later, the murderer instigated his own interview with the BBC to "clear his name" - the first of three.
Packer was charged in February 2022. During the trial, he admitted that he had lied in seven police interviews and three BBC interviews, but repeatedly insisted he did not murder Ms Caldwell before being found guilty and sentenced.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: "This week the Lord Advocate will meet with Emma's family and their solicitor to answer questions about the investigation and criminal proceedings.
"We feel that to respect this meeting it would not be appropriate to comment publicly on matters which should be discussed first with Emma's family.
"However, we can confirm a previous statement that following a full independent investigation Crown Counsel concluded that there was insufficient evidence of criminality on the part of any police officer involved in the investigation of Emma Caldwell's murder.
"As in all cases, the Crown reserved the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available."
Police Scotland have been approached for comment.