Caroline Flack’s mum has received an apology from the Metropolitan Police over how it handled a complaint she made following her daughter’s suicide.
The force told Christine Flack that it was “sincerely sorry” for failing to keep full records about why it wanted the Love Island host to be charged with assaulting her boyfriend.
Mrs Flack was told that Scotland Yard had improved record keeping as a result to better record reasons for decisions being made on whether to proceed with prosecutions.
The apology followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct into Mrs Flack’s concerns.
Flack, 40, took her took her own life in her London flat on February 15, 2020, amid her fears about her pending court appearance on charges of assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
The Metropolitan Police had pressed for her to face a charge of assault by beating, despite the Crown Prosecution Service recommending she receive only a caution.
An inquest recorded a conclusion of suicide after hearing how Flack’s mental health had deteriorated with a court appearance looming and the case in the media spotlight.
Mrs Flack launched a formal complaint against the Met, prompting the force to investigate the decision to pursue charges against the celebrity.
Her grievance largely related to her claim that Detective Inspector Lauren Bateman decided to appeal the CPS decision without reviewing key pieces of evidence which included not discussing the case with alleged victim Mr Burton.
Scotland Yard initially concluded that it had done no wrong, prompting Mrs Flack to escalate her concerns to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The IOPC has now written to Mrs Flack with the results of its inquiries.
It ruled that her daughter had not received different treatment due to her celebrity status, but it criticised the Met for its handling of her complaint.
The findings prompted Chief Superintendent Andy Carter, the Met Police’s borough commander for central north London, to write to Mrs Flack and apologise.
His letter outlined a number of measures that had been brought in to improve how officers went about appealing CPS decisions.
But Mrs Flack of Norwich, Norfolk, told the Eastern Daily Press that the force should instead be apologising to her daughter.
She said: “They have apologised for how they handled my complaint - but what they really should be apologising for is the way Carrie was treated.
“The fact new guidelines have been brought in means something was wrong. I believe if I had not said anything, nothing would have changed either.
“A lot of the apology letter felt copied and pasted and I feel like they have only done it because the IOPC suggested they ought to.”
Chief Supt Carter’s letter reads: “I am sincerely sorry for our inability to previously capture an adequate contemporaneous record of streamlined, balanced and transparent decision-making regarding the CPS appeal and statistical data.”
The IOPC report stated that the Met’s investigation into Mrs Flack’s complaint “was not reasonable and proportionate”.
It added that the force had not supplied her with “an open explanation of the officer’s decision-making”.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “The review did not identify any misconduct but concluded that an officer should receive reflective practice.
“This was about the requirement to review all case material and record a balanced rationale when appealing a CPS decision.
“The IOPC also asked the Met to apologise to Miss Flack’s family about there not being a record of the rationale to appeal the CPS decision.
“We have done so and acknowledge the impact this has had on them.”
Flack allegedly assaulted her boyfriend in her home in December 2019. He called emergency services, but later withdrew his complaint and said she “was not in a good place emotionally”.
Coroner Mary Hassell told the inquest into her death in Poplar coroner’s Court, east London, that Flack did “intend to cause her own death”.
She added: “I find the reason for her taking her life was she now knew she was being prosecuted for certainty and she knew she would face the media, press, publicity – it would all come down upon her.”
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
