Craig’s family deserve answers to his murder

The murder of Craig McClelland was a tragedy that shocked and horrified our community.

Having met with members of Craig’s family on a number of occasions, it is impossible not to be moved by their strength, their dignity or their determination to get the answers they deserve.

Craig’s partner Stacey and his father Michael told me that someone said that Craig was just in the“wrong place at the wrong time”.

But he had every right to be there in his own community. The man convicted of his murder and unlawfully at large at the time did not.

I welcome the assurance reviews published by HMICS and HMIPS on Thursday. It is important that these reports are fully examined and any gaps in the law and procedures are rectified. But it is blatantly clear there are still many unanswered questions.

Why was locating this offender not a priority? Why was this murderer assessed to be low risk? Have the Prisons Service and the Police been given enough resources to do their job properly?

Why did it take Craig’s murder for gaps in the law to be identified? Why has the system failed so dramatically?

This murder not only shouldn’t have happened, it shouldn’t have been possible.

Last week in Holyrood, the Justice Secretary gave me a public commitment to work with Craig’s family to find the answers they need. That is the least they deserve.

I will hold Humza Yousaf to that commitment because the need for the truth cannot be ignored.