Metropolitan Police apologises to Caroline Flack's mother after pushing for late TV host's assault charge
12 February 2023, 19:41 | Updated: 12 February 2023, 22:48
The Metropolitan Police has apologised to Caroline Flack's mother after it pushed for the late Love Island host to be charged with assault, despite being advised Flack only deserved a caution.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Christine Flack was told the force is "sincerely sorry" for failing to keep complete records about why it pressed for the harsher punishment for her daughter.
Caroline took her own life in February 2020 before a court date after being charged with the assault of her boyfriend Lewis Burton.
Coroner Mary Hassell blamed stresses surrounding the upcoming court date and the pressures of "media, press, publicity".
The Met had pressed for Flack to face a charge of assault by beating, despite a Crown Prosecution Service recommendation that she receive only a police caution.
After her death, Mrs Flack complained about the Met's handling of the case.
Scotland Yard denied any wrongdoing, which prompted a review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The body wrote that the police investigation was "not reasonable and proportionate".
The Met's Chief Superintendent Andy Carter apologised on behalf of the force and said it is changing the way it keeps records.
But the police fell short of apologising to Christine for its treatment of Caroline.
Chief Sup Carter wrote: "I am sincerely sorry for our inability to previously capture an adequate contemporaneous record of streamlined, balanced and transparent decision-making regarding the CPS appeal and statistical data."
Mrs Flack was unimpressed by the letter, telling local newspaper the Eastern Daily Press that much of it felt "copy and pasted".
She said: "They have apologised for how they handled my complaint - but what they really should be apologising for is the way Carrie was treated.
"The fact new guidelines have been brought in means something was wrong. I believe if I had not said anything, nothing would have changed either.
"A lot of the apology letter felt copied and pasted and I feel like they have only done it because the IOPC suggested they ought to."
Caroline Flack's mother shares an emotional warning about the press
