Prostitute murder inquiry leads to new crime claims probe
An inquiry has been launched into a number of alleged serious crimes which came to light during the reinvestigation of the murder of a woman 13 years ago.
Detectives are looking into reports of violent and sexual crimes after re-examining evidence from the original inquiry into Emma Caldwell’s death.
Ms Caldwell, 27, was working as a prostitute when her body was found in woods near Biggar, Lanarkshire, in May 2005.
She went missing after leaving the hostel where she lived on Glasgow’s south side in April that year.
The unsolved case was reopened in 2015 following consideration by senior lawyers in the Crown Office. The new investigation into the allegations uncovered will be led by Detective Chief Superintendent Lesley Boal.
Her inquiry will be supported by officers from the force’s specialist crime division and specialist agencies and organisations, including Rape Crisis Scotland, the Glasgow-based Women’s Support Project and SACRO.
DCS Boal said: “We are currently investigating a number of potential reports of criminality of a violent and sexual nature.
“These have been highlighted following the reinvestigation of the murder of Emma Caldwell.
“We understand people may be reluctant to contact the police, however all victims will be treated with the utmost respect and advocacy and support services are at hand to assist with police engagement.”
She added: “We are committed to ensuring that when complaints are received relating to rapes, sexual offences and other crimes they will be investigated in a robust and proper manner, regardless of when they were committed and who committed them.”
Although the statements underexaminationweregiven in 2005 and 2006, some detail potential crimes dating back several years.
Some of the allegations, it is understood, relate to incidents in the 1970s.
The new operation is the latest in a series of inquiries relating to Ms Caldwell’s murder.
The original murder investigation, one of the longest and most expensive ever mounted in Scotland, led to the arrest of four Turkish men but the case against them collapsed.
In 2015, 10 years after Ms Caldwell’s death, police were ordered to reopen the inquiry after a newspaper revealed a forgotten suspect.
The three-year inquiry, led by Detective Superintendent David Mclaren, reported to prosecutors last month, naming a single suspect.
The Crown Office is currently considering the next steps.
Ms Caldwell’s mother, Margaret, said she hoped that the latest development would deliver justice for others.
She said: “Above all, I would liketoseejusticeforemmabut I would be happy if the inquiry into her death might also give justice to other women and other victims.
“After all these years, that would be a good thing.”
0 Emma Caldwell’s body was found near Biggar, Lanarkshire, in 2005 – her murder remains unsolved