The Scottish government has announced a public inquiry examining major police failings that allowed one of the UK’s most prolific rapists to escape justice for a quarter of a century.
The family of Emma Caldwell, who was murdered by serial sex attacker Iain Packer in 2005, had been pushing Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf for a judge-led inquiry.
It comes after 51-year-old Packer was convicted of strangling and dumping Ms Caldwell’s naked remains in a ditch forty miles from Glasgow’s red light district where she had been a sex worker.
The 27-year-old had fallen into a life of prostitution to feed her heroin addiction after the tragic loss of her sister to cancer.
Packer was jailed for 36 years for also raping and abusing more than twenty other vulnerable women from 1999. He was not arrested until 2022.
Scotland’s Justice Secretary Angela Constance told MSPs on Thursday afternoon that Ms Caldwell was “a gentle and kind daughter who was deeply loved and incredibly close” to her family.
“There can be no doubt of the serious failings that brought a grieving family to have to fight for their right for Emma’s right to justice,” Ms Constance said.
“I am clear and confident that Police Scotland is, like society, changing. It is a different organisation today than of the legacy forces of the past. But that is not enough to comfort the Caldwell family and nor does it do justice to Emma’s memory.
“I have not taken this decision lightly. I recognise that a statutory public inquiry is a very significant undertaking and it will take time to set up, to hear the evidence and to reach its findings.”
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But Ms Constance said that the case for a public inquiry was “clear and compelling… given the gravity of this case, the length of time that it took for justice to be served, the horrific extent of the sexual violence suffered by the victims and survivors and the suffering endured by their families”.
“It is time to apply fresh scrutiny to his case, to understand what went wrong, to ensure that lessons are learned for the future, and to provide answers to all victims and survivors in this case.”
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‘How many women have to die?’
Ms Constance added that Ms Caldwell’s mother Margaret told her: “My daughter Emma and the many victims who so courageously spoke up deserve nothing less than a robust, independent public inquiry and a judge who will act without fear or favour.
“There are those who say that such inquiries take too long. My family have struggled for 19 years to get justice and we will wait however long it takes to see the truth, and will accept nothing less.”
Sky News previously revealed Packer was known to police as being “sexually violent” at least two years before Ms Caldwell was murdered.
The forested area where Ms Caldwell was murdered
Two former sex workers described being attacked by the predator, but they were ignored by senior officers when they raised the alarm. One woman was even arrested for prostitution when she reported Packer had abused her.
Packer was interviewed a number of times by detectives as part of the original 2005 investigation but was not arrested or charged for 17 years, despite admitting he had driven Ms Caldwell to the remote spot.
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Police interviewing Iain Packer who avoided justice for years
The re-investigation that eventually brought the rapist to justice years later examined more than 50,000 pieces of evidence.
The Chief Constable of Police Scotland Jo Farrell has apologised to Ms Caldwell’s family and the other women who were failed.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
