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A watchdog has told police to re-examine a complaint from Caroline Flack’s mother, who said her daughter was treated differently because she was famous.
The presenter was facing charges for assaulting her boyfriend when she committed suicide in February 2020.
A coroner ruled she killed herself after finding out prosecutors were going to prosecute the assault charge following an incident involving her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
The CPS had wanted to give Flack a warning
The IOPC Fund told Sky News Christine Flack submitted two notices asking them to review how the Metropolitan Police handled their complaints about the force’s response.
As a result, they told the Met to reconsider the process involved in the decision to charge Flack.
The Crown Prosecution Service had wanted to give him a warning, but that decision was appealed by the Met.
During the inquest into her daughter’s death, Christine Flack told the court that her daughter “was not an abuser” and accused police and prosecutors of having her “for” because of her ” celebrity status”.
Ms Flack told reporters her daughter ‘sees no way out’ of the bad press from the trial.
The day before she died, Flack discovered she would be prosecuted after allegedly hitting Burton with his phone while he slept due to fears he had cheated on her.
Lawyers called for the case to be dismissed and friends expected it to be dropped.
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Why the police say Flack has been charged
Flack admitted punching Mr Burton when officers were called to his home, but police told the inquest there was no ‘clear’ admission of guilt when questioned by the police. police, which was one of the factors in the decision to charge him.
Other factors included the violence involved, the fact that Mr Burton was asleep at the time of the alleged offense and that a caution is rare for a domestic violence case – which this incident was deemed to be.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Following a review, the IOPC has agreed with the MPS that the service is acceptable in respect of seven areas of complaints relating to the response and handling of the incident by the MPS.
“The IOPC Fund has ordered the MPS to reconsider one element of the complaints. This relates to the process involved in appealing the CPS’s decision to warn Ms Flack.
“We will review this element of the investigative process.
“Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Caroline’s family.”
