New strategy for victims of crime urged

Group Political Editor

Wednesday 5 October 2011

POLICE must rethink the way they treat the families of crime victims, according to the brother of a woman murdered by her husband.

PETER MORRIS: Said police are failing the families of victims.

Custom byline text:

Brian Currie Political Editor

Peter Morris, whose sister Claire was killed by Malcolm Webster, told MSPs yesterday that liaison officers often did not have a good rapport with families and that bereaved relatives were pulled from “pillar to post” trying to get information.

He also called for new arrangements to prevent an accused getting close to a victim’s family while in court.Mr Morris, who presented a petition of more than 6000 names urging the Scottish Parliament to consider new legislation to support victims of crime, said that from the inception of an investigation, especially in a murder case, police should rethink their strategy starting with replacing family liaison officers.He said they were not there for the family’s benefit, they were there “to collect statements for the police, they’re there to collate information”.He also called for better communication, warning an “eternity” could pass before getting answers to simple questions, a cause of frustration.Mr Morris said that during the investigation into his sister’s killing he sometimes did not see the liaison officers for months.He suggested they should be replaced by “case companions”, who would be assigned by the police and could provide support throughout the investigation, any court case and beyond.“This would indicate to the family that they have someone who is on their side, who is a friend and not just working for police purposes,” he said.“I would suggest at least a once a week phone call while the investigation is going on just to check on the wellbeing of the victims’ families.”Mr Morris said that on four occasions, prior to an arranged police visit to his 86-year-old mother, he had to take her to an A&E department because she had extremely high blood pressure.After that he agreed with police he would “gently” pass information about the case on to his mother, rather than have officers contact her.But he said: “There were many times throughout the process, the very long process, that I genuinely didn’t think she was going to survive.“A much more victim-friendly approach needs to be taken by the police.”Mr Webster also revealed how Webster on several occasions stood just four places behind him in the court’s canteen during the trial and would also sit outside the room where he was waiting.He said he believed the murderer was trying to provoke him but he managed to put up a “brick wall” enabling him to cope.“I fully respect the accused is innocent until proved guilty but I genuinely think they should be kept in a separate part of a court house because the ability of jeopardising a trial because of somebody’s inappropriate actions is quite high,” he added.Mr Morris, 48, from Gillingham, Kent, also criticised the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales, Louise Casey, for saying a survey of 400 murder trials had shown that most families wanted to be left alone after the events.He said: “For me that showed a complete lack of empathy about the subject she was addressing. Of course they want to be left alone, they’re in pain but you wouldn’t leave a cancer victim alone because they’re in pain. You would give them every possible opportunity and treatment to try to help them recover.”Webster, from Guildford, Surrey, was given a life sentence earlier this year after he drugged his wife, staged a car crash and started a fire while she was still unconscious in the vehicle.

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

New strategy for victims of crime urged

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED