VICTIM’S LEGACY

THE Daily Record revealed last month that post-mortem procedures were going to be assessed by law officials after a meeting between the Woodburn family and Nicola Sturgeon.

Kevin Woodburn told Sturgeon and Justice Minister Michael Matheson the current procedures were “barbaric” and compounded the grief for families.

It was a theme he also dealt with in a piece he wrote for the Record – a harrowing account of the process the family went through during the investigation into Shaun’s death. In it, he questioned why Shaun needed to be cut open for examination more than once.

The family gathered cross-party support in their bid to streamline the process and Matheson said in Parliament last month it was possible “improvements can be made on current practice”.

Former Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who has been supporting the family in their campaign, has raised several issues over the handling of Shaun’s case.

They include the question of why the family have not received a sentencing statement from the trial judge over the killer’s four-year prison term.

Dugdale previously said: “The family believe that the sentence should have been longer. They also accept that is why an independent judge determines these matters, not the media, not victims’ families and not even politicians.

“But what they cannot understand is why no one will explain why that decision was made, what the process was, what was considered and what was not.”

Yesterday it became clear, with the announcement of the review, that genuine steps were being taken to ensure improvements can be achieved.