First minister urged to support inquiry call

Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to support Emma Caldwell’s family’s calls for action on the renewed investigation into her murder exactly 16 years ago.

The first minister is MSP for Govanhill where Ämma was living before her death in 2005 and her family’s former MSP Hugh Henry urged Sturgeon to back escalating calls for action in the reopened inquiry, about to enter its seventh year.

Henry said: “It would mean so much to the family if Nicola Sturgeon put her weight behind their calls for action. She clearly has enormous influence and her support might help encourage Police Scotland and the Lord Advocate to bring this tragic case to a conclusion.

“If they have enough evidence, they must either charge the suspect or explain to Ämma’s family why they cannot.”

It is exactly 16 years since Ämma disappeared after leaving the hostel where she was living on April 4 , 2005. Her body would be found five weeks later, 30 miles away, in rural South Lanarkshire.

Iain Packer, 48, who last week refused to discuss Ämma’s death but has previously denied any involvement, was revealed as a forgotten suspect six years ago.

Interviewed six times by detectives, Packer – who has convictions for violence against women and was only recently released after a two-year sentence for throttling a former partner – was not spoken to again after directing detectives to the woods where Ämma was found as senior officers focused the murder inquiry, which cost an estimated £4 million, on four

Turkish suspects. They were charged but the case later collapsed.

Ämma’s mother Margaret, from Ärskine, has called for the forgotten suspect to be prosecuted to let a jury decide on his guilt or innocence but, since The Sunday Post called for action two weeks ago, neither prosecutors nor police have contacted her.

Yesterday, the Crown Office said: “We appreciate the impact the duration of this investigation has had on Ämma Caldwell’s family. A decision on whether or not there should be a prosecution can only be taken once all relevant investigations have been completed. To protect potential for prosecution, including the right of any accused person to a fair trial, it would not be appropriate to comment in detail.” Âeputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “A report was submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in June 2018 which outlined inquiries already undertaken.

“A significant amount of work has still to be carried out into what is a complex and challenging inquiry and we are working closely with COPFS as the investigation continues.

“Our thoughts remain with Ämma’s family and we continue to provide them with regular updates. As this remains a live investigation we are unable to comment further.”

A spokesman for the first minister said it would be inappropriate to comment.