The family of Emma Caldwell are set to meet with John Swinney tomorrow amid an ongoing row over who should lead the public inquiry into the police investigation of her murder.
Margaret Caldwell, Jim Coyle and Stewart McGrory will meet with the First Minister at Bute House in Edinburgh on Tuesday to discuss the appointment of a non-Scottish judge. The grieving relatives claim the scale of the failures by police are “so catastrophic” only an independent judge outside of the Scottish justice system would suffice.
In March last year, the Scottish Government said consideration would be given for a judge from outside Scotland after it announced a public inquiry. But Emma’s family argue they have been left with “no reassurance” and feel there has been a deliberate attempt to impose a Scottish judge in the interim.
A statement on behalf of Emma’s family, issued by solicitor Aamer Anwar, reads: “After a tireless campaign for an independent Public Inquiry investigating the death of Emma Caldwell, an Inquiry was announced by the Scottish Government. Emma’s family and their lawyer, Aamer Anwar, demanded the independent judge led Public Inquiry be presided over by a judge outside of the Scottish Jurisdiction. However, since then, there has been no progress in the appointment of a non-Scottish judge.
“The family have been left with no reassurance and feel there has been a deliberate attempt to impose a Scottish judge in the interim. The scale of the crimes and the failures are so catastrophic that only an independent judge outside of the Scottish justice system would suffice. The Police and the Crown Office cannot be trusted to investigate themselves or their former superiors.”
The issue will be raised with Swinney and Justice Secretary Angela Constance tomorrow. Emma was murdered in 2005 at the age of 27 by serial rapist Iain Packer.
Her lifeless body was found in Limefield Woods, near Roberton, South Lanarkshire, on May 8 that year – more than a month after she went missing in the southside of Glasgow Police interviewed Packer the following month but he was not convicted until almost two decades later.
Four Turkish men were wrongly charged with her murder in 2007 before the case against them was dropped in 2008. Seven years later, detectives were ordered to reinvestigate Emma’s murder after former detective Gerry Gallacher took his bombshell investigation on Packer police bungling to the Record’s sister paper the Sunday Mail, which then named Packer as a forgotten suspect.
He was eventually in 2022 – nearly 20 years after Emma’s murder. He initially denied the charged before crimes relating to other victims were unravelled int he months ahead.
Packer was found guilty of 33 separate charges, including Emma’s murder, 11 rapes and 21 charges, including sexual assaults, against other women. An attempt to appeal to have the length of his sentence reduced was refused in August last year.
Police Scotland have since apologised to the family of Emma and his other victims for how the original inquiry was handled, saying they were “let down”.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with Emma’s family for the terrible loss, pain and grief they have faced for many years. As announced in March, an independent, judge-led, statutory public inquiry will take place into the investigation of Emma’s murder in 2005. The First Minister and Justice Secretary are grateful for the opportunity to meet with the family to discuss further.”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.