The local authority responsible for the care of murdered Amber Gibson has confirmed an independent review of her death is underway and its findings will be made public.
Amber, who was 16, was sexually assaulted and murdered by her older brother, Connor Gibson, in November 2021.
A passerby, Stephen Corrigan, who found Amber in Cadzow Park in Hamilton, then interfered with and hid her body rather than alert the authorities.
Both men were found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday and are now awaiting sentencing.
Amber had been in the care of the local authority when she went missing and both she and Gibson, 20, were care experienced.
READ MORE: Was Amber Gibson let down by the system?
Their foster carers, who had looked after the siblings from the ages of three and five, expressed concern that the brother and sister had been "let down by the system".
In an emotional statement following the trial, Craig and Carol Niven said they believed Amber's death could have been prevented if the family had been given appropriate supports.
Professor Soumen Sengupta, Director of Health and Social Care for South Lanarkshire, described the situation as a "truly tragic case".
Five months before Amber was murdered she had also been raped by a third man, Jamie Starrs, who is currently remanded and awaiting sentencing for the sexual assault in June, 2021.
A recorded statement from Amber helped convict the double rapist following her death.
Prof Sengupta said: "This has been a truly tragic case, and our thoughts remain with all those who knew and loved Amber.
"There are established procedures in place for tragic events of this nature which are designed to ensure that events are fully understood and, if necessary, learned from."
South Lanarkshire Council said that after Amber's death, the Care Inspectorate and the chair of the Child Protection Committee (CPC) were informed.
He said an "extremely experienced independent expert in the field" has been engaged by the CPC to carry out an independent review.
READ MORE: Chilling footage shows Amber and Connor Gibson together on the night of her murder
"They have already carried out most of the work involved and will now be able to conclude the review, including interviewing people who were witnesses in the criminal case," he added.
“The results of the review will be delivered to the CPC once complete and then shared with the Public Protection Chief Officer Group.
"It is anticipated that the findings will be publicly reported in an appropriate format.”
It is not yet known when the findings are expected to be completed.
Amber lived with the Nivens in childhood but at the age of 14 moved to Hillhouse children's unit in Hamilton and had lived there for two years prior to her death.
Gibson lived with his foster family until the age of 18 before moving to the Blue Triangle homelessness accommodation where he was living at the time he committed his sister's murder.
The independent review format replaced the former Significant Case Reviews nationally in 2018.
In their statement, Mr and Mrs Niven said the evidence heard in court showed "how much Amber and Connor have been let down throughout their lives by the system".
They added: "As a family, we all feel this could have been prevented.
"We now have one daughter buried in Larkhall Cemetery and another child in prison.
"We really miss Amber - life will never be the same."
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