Police probing the deaths of four people at a home in Costessey, Norfolk, have tonight said they will be “open and transparent” during an investigation into their conduct.
A 999 call was ignored before the bodies of Kanticha Noon, 36, her sister’s husband Bartlomiej Kuczynski, and his two daughters, Downreuang, seven, and Jasmin, 12, were discovered on Friday.
Norfolk Constabulary has now referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) after admitting ignoring a 999 call in connection with the deaths, the Mirror reports.
The force is also looking at previous contact at the address in Costessey, Norfolk, on 14 December which was in relation to a missing person enquiry.
Chief Constable Paul Sanford said: “Following the identification of the earlier 999 call, the constabulary referred itself to the IOPC who will now investigate.
“It is because of this process that I choose my words carefully; not because I don’t want to be open and honest, but because I have a duty to protect the integrity of any investigation that needs to follow.
“It will be for this investigation to identify and consider the circumstances and to consider if there were any issues with the response.”
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Kanticha was visiting her sister’s family on a trip from Thailand before the tragic incident, for which there were no “no warning signs”.
Her best friend Naty Wathanakul said: “I wasn’t expecting that my friend wouldn’t be able to come back alive. She was just a petite woman, i can’t believe this happened to her. It was too cruel to handle, I was crying.”
Concerns have now been raised after police confirmed a man made a 999 call inside the property shortly before 6am on Friday, but officers were not deployed.
Mr Sanford said: “This is a tragic and horrific incident and my thoughts, and that of the entire constabulary, remain with the family of those involved. I’m aware this incident has also caused great upset and shock in Costessey, the wider community and beyond.
“I know the family and the public will rightly want to know whether there was an ability to prevent this tragedy, and this is a question that must be answered. However, at this stage, I cannot answer that question. What I can say is that we will be open and honest in the days, weeks, and months ahead, to get the answers to this question.
“There will, of course, also be an inquest that will review the wider circumstances a surrounding the death and the involvement of the police and other agencies. We have thousands of interactions with the public every single day, on the phone and in person. It’s only right that when there are questions about our response, they are properly investigated, and I fully support and welcome this scrutiny.
“I will not wait for the outcome of this investigation to review our working practices and that process has started. Furthermore, the constabulary is currently undergoing a routine inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services. That inspection includes an assessment of our response to 999 calls.
“Today, I have asked the Inspectorate to consider undertaking a deeper review than the robust inspection already planned, to provide the reassurance that the public and I need in our response to emergency calls.”
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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.
