The Metropolitan Police are set to investigate its decision to charge Caroline Flack with assault.
The former Love Island presenter died of suicide in Febrary 2020 aged 40, with a coroner stating that “the reason for her taking her life was she now knew she was being prosecuted for certainty, and she knew she would face the media, press, publicity”.
The Crown Prosecution Service had said Flack should receive a caution after an incident with her boyfriend in December 2019, but the Met appealed this decision and she was charged with assault.
The Met has now said “new witness evidence may be available” in regards to its decision to charge the TV presenter.
Following her death, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) carried out a review of the Met’s decision and did not find any misconduct.
It did however ask the Met to apologise to Caroline’s family for not recording the reason it appealed the original decision. At the time, Caroline’s mum, Christine, rejected the apology.
However on Thursday (11 April) the Met confirmed a new complaint was made by Caroline’s family last week (per BBC).
“The IOPC returned one aspect of the complaint back to the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) to consider further,” said the Met in a statement to PA News.
“This relates to the actions of officers in appealing an initial decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to charge Ms Flack, and because new witness evidence may be available.”
The TV presenter’s mother told the Mirror: “We won’t stop until we get the truth. Something very unusual happened to Carrie at the police station that night, but no one kept a proper record explaining why.”
“As a family, we have been left with important unanswered questions.”
Christine added: “I have now made a complaint to compel the officer to give the statement we think he should have given four years ago. As a family, we have been left with important unanswered questions.”
An IOPC spokesperson told the BBC: “On the basis there may be new witness evidence available, we returned one aspect of the complaint back to the Met to investigate.”