‘Toxic culture of misogyny and corruption’ led to killer avoiding justice
Police apologise saying ‘significant number of women and girls did not get justice’
Police have admitted major failings which had denied justice to a “significant” number of female victims of violent and sexual crimes after Iain Packer was convicted of murdering Emma Caldwell nearly 19 years after her death.
Police Scotland said the former Strathclyde Police should have carried out further investigations into the 27-year-old’s death following its initial inquiries in 2005.
It said the lack of action until the Lord Advocate ordered the case to be re-opened ten years later "caused unnecessary distress to her family and all those women who had come forward to report sexual violence”.
Packer, 51, was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday of murder and hiding her body in Limefield Woods, near Biggar in South Lanarkshire following the largest police investigation for years.
He was also convicted of violent and sexual crimes against several other women and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 36 years.
Aamer Anwar, the solicitor acting on behalf of Miss Caldwell’s mother Margaret, accused police of a “toxic culture of misogyny and corruption” and called for any officers suspected of criminality to be prosecuted.
He said Mrs Caldwell wanted a judge-led public inquiry into what went wrong.
Miss Caldwell was last seen on CCTV around 11pm on April 4 2005 walking alone on Butterbiggins Road towards Victoria Road on the southside of Glasgow.
She was reported missing by her family a week later and her body was found just over a month later on May 8. The review of the case in 2015 involved more than 53,000 documents and other items of evidence.
Assistant Chief Constable for Major Crime and Public Protection Bex Smith said: “Emma Caldwell, her family and many other victims, were let down by policing in 2005. For that we are sorry.
“A significant number of women and girls who showed remarkable courage to speak up at that time also did not get the justice and support they needed and deserved from Strathclyde Police.
“It is clear that further investigations should have been carried out into Emma’s murder following the initial inquiry in 2005. The lack of investigation until 2015 caused unnecessary distress to her family and all those women who had come forward to report sexual violence.
“It is the courage, resilience and determination shown by Emma’s family, in particular her parents William and Margaret, and all those who survived Packer’s horrific catalogue of offending that got us to where we are today.
“William is, sadly, no longer here to see this day, but I hope this verdict gives Margaret and all those affected by this case, the justice they deserve.
“This was an extremely challenging re-investigation and without doubt the largest police inquiry of recent times in Scotland.
“But time is no barrier to justice and I would urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual violence to please come forward and speak to us. You will be listened to and you will be supported – no matter when the offences took place.
“We have reflected and learnt from the initial investigation and
I hope this verdict gives Margaret and all those affected by this case, the justice they deserve
subsequent re-investigation. Significant changes have been made in recent years to improve our organisational culture and our response, particularly in respect of investigative structures, victim care and processes to these types of crimes.”
Mr Anwar said: “A toxic culture of misogyny and corruption meant the police failed so many women and girls who came forward to speak up against Packer.
"Instead of receiving justice and compassion, they were humiliated, dismissed and in some instances arrested, whilst the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and rape again.
"The scale of the crimes and the failures are so catastrophic that nothing less than a judicial public inquiry will suffice."
Mr Anwar said police officers stood accused of a “shameful betrayal” of Miss Caldwell and other victims “to protect their own careers and of alleged criminality that allowed one of the UK’s worst sex offenders to evade justice for 18 years”.