Caroline Flack’s mother has refused to accept the Met Police’s apology for how it handled a charge of assault against her daughter before her death.
The 40-year-old Love Island presenter took her own life in her London flat in February 2020 amid her fears over her pending court appearance for an alleged assault on her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
Last month, the Met told Caroline’s family it was “sincerely sorry” for not keeping full records on why it wanted the Love Island host charged with assaulting her boyfriend.
But speaking on NewsnightHis mother, Christine, said she did not accept that apology, adding: “It just seems wrong.” They haven’t said why no notes were taken, why nothing was recorded. I don’t know if they are covering something.
Asked if she thought her daughter would still be alive if the warning had stood and Caroline had not been charged, she told the BBC’s flagship show: “Yes, I really do.”
The Strictly Come Dancing host and champion (pictured in 2017) was charged with assault after an argument with her partner, Lewis Burton.
An investigation following a complaint by Caroline Flack’s mother, Christine, found that officers had not done enough to keep records of what the TV presenter was accused of.
“Once all the photos were in the papers and things were written about her on social media, they just picked up on the bad.
“There was a lot of good stuff, but Caroline wasn’t reading the good stuff, she was just reading the bad stuff.
‘She lost her job immediately, without even being found guilty or going to court. She caused another series to be cancelled.
Christine said she would campaign for a fuller apology from the Met.
She added that her biggest regret was not speaking up in the hours after her daughter’s arrest to correct what she said were “lies” printed by the press.
“The stuff that was in the press that he hit someone with a lamp or a fan, that was totally false,” he said.
“And no one came out and said, ‘No, that didn’t happen.’
The Met’s apology followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct into Christine’s concerns.
The force pushed for him to face a charge of assault and battery, despite the Crown Prosecution Service recommending that he only receive a warning.
The Met apologized for the way it handled the case, but Caroline’s mother, Christine, refused to accept their apology.
In the photo together. In the wake of Caroline Flack’s death, family and friends shared photos of the presenter.
An inquest recorded a conclusion of suicide after hearing how Flack’s mental health had deteriorated with the case in the media spotlight.
Christine filed a formal complaint against the Met, prompting the force to investigate the decision to press charges against the celebrity.
Her complaint largely related to her claim that Detective Inspector Lauren Bateman chose to appeal the CPS decision without reviewing key pieces of evidence.
DI Bateman also did not discuss the case with the alleged victim, Mr. Burton.
Scotland Yard initially concluded that she had done nothing wrong, prompting Christine to raise her concerns with the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The IOPC wrote to Christine with the results of their investigations.
She ruled out that her daughter had not been treated differently because of her celebrity status, but criticized the Met for its handling of her complaint.
The 40-year-old woman took her own life two months after being arrested on suspicion of assault in December 2019.
The findings prompted Chief Superintendent Andy Carter, Borough Commander of the North Central London Metropolitan Police, to write to Christine and apologise.
His letter outlined a number of measures that had been introduced to improve the way officers appealed CPS decisions.
The Met said: ‘Our thoughts and condolences remain with the family of Ms Flack on her loss and we are sorry for the impact this has had on them.
“When a person is arrested, they can be held in custody for up to 24 hours to give officers time to gather evidence and investigate the alleged crime.
“A review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct did not identify any misconduct in relation to the handling of Ms Flack’s arrest, however it concluded that an officer involved in the investigation should receive thoughtful practice.”
Flack allegedly assaulted her boyfriend Lewis Burton with a phone at their home in December 2019.
Flack allegedly assaulted her boyfriend Lewis Burton at his home in December 2019.
She called emergency services but later withdrew her complaint, saying she was “not in a good place emotionally.”
Coroner Mary Hassell said at the inquest into his death at Poplar coroner’s court, east London, that Flack “intended to cause his own death”.
She added: “I find that the reason she took her own life was that now she knew she was being prosecuted for sure and she knew that she would face the media, the press, the publicity, it would all fall on her.”
