PRESS STATEMENT – MARCH 6TH 2024 – BY AAMER ANWAR- SOLICITOR ON BEHALF OF MARGARET CALDWELL FOLLOWING MEETING WITH THE CHIEF CONSTABLE, JO FARRELL.
PRESS STATEMENT BY AAMER ANWAR- SOLICITOR ON BEHALF OF MARGARET CALDWELL FOLLOWING MEETING WITH THE CHIEF CONSTABLE, JO FARRELL.
Today we met with the Chief Constable, who once again apologised for the failures of the police service, in that they failed Emma, her family and the many victims. The family were grateful to the Chief Constable for her honesty and empathy, but we still have a long way to go.
Emma’s family paid tribute to Police Scotland’s murder investigation team; including SIOs Davie McLaren, Grahame Mackie, Gordon MacKenzie, who for some 8 years have been unwavering in their commitment and dedication to delivering justice. They are the very best of policing and it needed said once again.
The Chief Constable was told nine years ago when Margaret and I met with the Lord Advocate, Margaret was promised there would be a robust, transparent investigation into the conduct of the police and should there be any criminality then there would be consequences.
Emma’s family were shocked to learn through the press that Crown Office claimed to have carried out a so-called independent investigation into the police and could find no criminality. We understand that Police Scotland delivered a report to Crown Counsel and tomorrow we will meet the Lord Advocate to seek answers.
The family find the Crown’s conclusion simply unbelievable, untenable and disrespectful. Margaret said today she is tired, but she will fight on for the truth and nothing but the truth.
Emma’s family believe it is not only Iain Packer who evaded justice for nearly 19 years, but police officers who betrayed the most fundamental duty of all to protect life. Officers stand accused of sabotaging an investigation, persecuting officers who had gone after Packer, spying on journalists, and perpetuating a lie for some 19 years.
For far too long those responsible for gifting a killer his freedom, have remained in the shadows, now they must face the glare of public scrutiny, the only forum for that can be before a statutory judge led public inquiry- the victims of Packer deserve nothing less.
The family are grateful that the Chief Constable has stated she fully supports their demands for a public inquiry, that is the only way that the police service of Scotland and former officers can ever truly be held to account.
Had it not been for Margaret Caldwell’s tireless campaigning, then any hope of justice would have been buried forever. We know Packer carried out rapes, sexual offences and assaults some 19 times after Emma’s murder in 2005.
Should a Public Inquiry be announced in the coming days, the Chief Constable promised the family that Police Scotland would fully cooperate, but the family sought an assurance that any officers past or present called to give evidence, will be denied the right to immunity from prosecution.
If they have nothing to hide, then they have nothing to fear from speaking with candour. If they broke the law, then of course they must face the prospect of imprisonment.
The conduct of the police from 2005 until 2016 can only be described as the worst scandal in our legal history.
Many of those officers and crown officials have moved on, promoted, or simply retired-
which means that the institutions that presided over as cover up will be desperate to close the door on the Emma Caldwell- there should be no hiding place for those who perverted the course of justice, the victims of Packer deserve nothing less.
For Margaret Caldwell the scale of the crimes and the failures are so catastrophic that nothing less than a judicial public inquiry will suffice.
In 2006 a covert investigation was launched, codenamed Guard. A Turkish speaking Police officer, was brought in from Aberdeen to help with Guard and translate the hours of surveillance footage from The Café.
In 2007, we were told this was the most expensive and complex investigations standing at over £4 million.
In March 2007 Packer had given his 6th police statement, he actually took detectives to the spot where Emma’s body was dumped.
Yet those officers were told by senior detectives to drop Packer, as it was the Turks they were interested in.
In July 2007, four Turkish men appeared in court, I acted for one of the accused Abubeckir Oncu.
So began the unravelling of one-year of surveillance tapes, our defence investigations showed they were impossible to make out and often the translations were a flawed perversion of the truth.
Police officers stand accused of failing in the most fundamental duty of a police officer to protect life. When Margaret said police officers had blood on their hands, she very much included one of the UK’s most senior officers Stephen House as well as William Rae who was Chief Constable when Emma was murdered.
From 2007, Mr House presided over years of the misery that saw multiple women raped and a killer emboldened by a belief that he had lifelong immunity.
If there is no time limit on justice, then any officers, retired or not, suspected of criminality must be prosecuted and those in our criminal justice system including Crown Office should finally be held to account.
Whatever the job, addictions or vulnerabilities of Emma Caldwell or the 22 women who gave evidence, it should never have been used as a justification for sexual violence or to treat them as a second-class citizens.
Emma Caldwell mattered, the 25 women who spoke up mattered, and the many whose voices which were never heard in this court mattered.
The Chief Constable of the Police Service in Scotland, was told today that this is an opportunity to bring about real change and voice to be given to the voiceless.
