The mother of Caroline Flack has stated that she does not accept the Metropolitan Police’s contrition for how her daughter’s case was handled.
In February 2020, the actress committed suicide while facing charges of assaulting her fiancé.
The Met apologized to her mother, Christine Flack, last month for failing to record the reason she was charged.
Christine stated that she does not accept the contrition, while the police stated that her arrest was handled appropriately.
Three years have passed since the X Factor and Love Island presenter committed suicide. Before her demise in 2020, she was scheduled to appear in court for the alleged assault of her then-boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
It seems improper.
Following her arrest, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) initially determined Caroline would only receive a caution. However, a senior Met officer appealed this decision, resulting in Caroline being charged with assault by beating.
Later, a coroner determined that the presenter committed suicide because she knew she was facing criminal charges and feared the attention a trial would generate.
After her demise, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) reviewed the Metropolitan Police Department’s (Met) decision to charge her. The evaluation “did not identify any misconduct” by the Metropolitan Police Department.
However, the IOPC asked the Met to apologize to Caroline’s family for failing to record the reason for appealing the CPS decision. The police department issued an apology last month for failing to document why the presenter was charged.
Christine has previously stated that her daughter was treated differently due to her celebrity.
She stated that she does not accept the contrition, adding, “It’s just not right.” They have not explained why no notes were taken or why nothing was recorded. I do not know if they are concealing something.”
Christine responded to Newsnight’s inquiry as to whether she believed her daughter would still be alive if the caution had been lifted and Caroline had not been charged: “I do, I do.”
“Once all the pictures were published in the newspapers and things were written about her on social media, they picked up the negative,” she explained. “There was a great deal of good, but Caroline was only reading the negative.”
She added, “She immediately lost her job, without even being found guilty or appearing in court.” She had another program canceled.”
Christine says she will continue to demand a more comprehensive contrition from the Metropolitan Police Department for how it treated her daughter in the hours before her death.
Caroline was transported by ambulance to the hospital following her arrest because she had self-inflicted injuries. Her mother believes that her subsequent 24-hour incarceration was unnecessary.
The Metropolitan Police stated that the arrest was conducted properly. A representative stated, “Our thoughts and condolences remain with Ms. Flack’s family for their loss. And we regret the impact this has had on them”.
Officers may detain a suspect for 24 hours to gather evidence and examine the crime.
“The Independent Office for Police Conduct found no evidence of misconduct in the arrest of Ms. Flack. However, an officer involved in the investigation should undergo the reflective practice.”
Christine told Newsnight that her greatest regret is not speaking out publicly in the hours following her daughter’s arrest to correct the press’s “lies.”
“Reports in the media that she struck someone with a lamp or a fan were completely false,” she says. Nobody ever stepped forward to deny that the event occurred.
