The mother of a woman who was murdered and whose killer was found guilty last week after 20 years of fighting for justice is demanding a criminal inquiry into the mishandling of the case.
Iain Packer received a life sentence with a minimum of 36 years in prison from the high court in Glasgow on Wednesday for the murder of Emma Caldwell in 2005. He was also found guilty of 11 rapes, 21 additional charges of sexual assault and abduction.
During the trial, it came to light that Packer was facing allegations of rape and physical assaults against multiple women dating back to 1990. However, the police did not take action, largely due to the fact that many of the victims were sex workers.
The Caldwell family is demanding a public investigation into the authorities’ shortcomings in handling the murder case of their daughter, who was 27 years old at the time of her death in the woods, 44 miles away from her home in Glasgow.
Margaret Caldwell, the mother of the individual, is requesting a criminal inquiry to be handled by an external law enforcement agency and overseen by impartial prosecutors to thoroughly examine the actions of those involved in the situation.
According to the Sunday Post, she stated: “Following the trial, the crown office should have announced an urgent and unbiased criminal investigation. My family is not the only one seeking reassurance about our justice system. It is necessary for all of Scotland to have that reassurance.”
The crown office is currently in talks with Caldwell’s family and has announced that an independent investigation into the case revealed there was not enough evidence to suggest any police officers involved in the investigation committed a crime.
The possibility of a public inquiry into the investigation of Packer is being considered by the first minister, Humza Yousaf.
Margaret Caldwell, in addition to meeting with Yousaf and the Scottish justice secretary, Angela Constance, expressed her support for a potential public inquiry and stressed the urgency to not delay any further.
She stated, “At the time of Emma’s death, I was 57, and now I am 78. When will I finally know who was responsible for Emma’s failure and why? I do not have the patience for further discussions and false assurances. Only actions hold significance now.”
Her family notified authorities of Caldwell’s disappearance in April 2005. Her body was discovered the next month in Limefield Woods, located near Biggar in South Lanarkshire.
In 2015, an article in the Sunday Mail newspaper dubbed Packer as “the neglected suspect”, prompting Police Scotland to open a renewed investigation into the case at the directive of the Lord Advocate.
Police Scotland has expressed regret to the family of Caldwell and the other victims of Packer, conceding that they were not properly served by law enforcement and acknowledging that it was evident that additional inquiries should have been conducted into Emma’s killing after the first investigation in 2005.
Source: theguardian.com
