Caroline Flack’s mother sparks reinvestigation of police complaint
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has instructed the Metropolitan Police to reinvestigate one aspect of an old complaint.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A watchdog has instructed police to reinvestigate Caroline Flack’s mother’s complaint that her daughter was treated differently by police due to her fame.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police (MPS) told the BBC that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had instructed the MPS to reinvestigate the aspect of an old complaint.
The Love Island presenter took her own life at the age of 40 in February 2020.
A coroner ruled she took her own life after learning prosecutors were going to press ahead with an assault charge over an incident involving her boyfriend, Lewis Burton
Christine Flack told the BBC she still wants to know why her daughter was charged with the assault – despite prosecutors initially saying she should be given a caution.
She said: “I just want those answers to make me feel better and to make me know that I’ve done the right thing by Caroline.”
She added: “It leaves us really sad and really angry because we want to know why they charged her.
“I just want the truth out there. I know it won’t bring her back but I’ve got to do it for her.”
Asked if she feels the decision to charge her daughter contributed to her death, Mrs Flack said: “Oh, totally. Totally. She couldn’t see a way out.”
She said she has now lost trust in the force, continuing: “There’s no trust at all. No trust at all. I just want the truth out there.
“And it won’t bring her back. I know it won’t bring her back. But I’ve got to do it for her.”
Flack found out the day before her death that she would be prosecuted with the charge that she hit Burton with her phone while he slept over concerns he had been cheating on her.
Friends said she was expecting the case to be dropped after her lawyers applied for it to be thrown out.
We will re-examine this element of the investigative process. Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Caroline's family
Coroner Mary Hassell found that Flack killed herself because she knew she was being prosecuted and could not face the press coverage.
Mrs Flack had accused the police and prosecutors of having it “in for” her daughter, accusing them of taking her to court due to her “celebrity status”.
The MPS spokesman said: “Following a review, the IOPC agreed with the MPS that service was acceptable in relation to seven areas of the complaints relating to the response and handling of the incident by the MPS.
“The IOPC has directed the MPS to reinvestigate one element of the complaints. This relates to the process involved in appealing the CPS decision to caution Ms Flack.
“We will re-examine this element of the investigative process.
“Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Caroline’s family.”