Senior law makers have backed the fight for justice of a family who have waited 20 months to find out how their loved one’s neck was broken in a British street.
The family of Julian Cole, 21, blame excessive force used by police and say the police watchdog has been too slow in its investigation of the case.
Cole, an athlete and footballer, was left in a vegetative state after going to a Bedford nightclub in May 2013. He was arrested by police and the Independent Police Complaints Commission will not say if six officers questioned under criminal caution for grievous bodily harm or two nightclub staff bear any responsibilty for the incident, let alone whether there may be criminal charges.
On Tuesday, the chair of a powerful Commons committee and a candidate for London mayor backed the family and criticised the IPCC.
David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, said: “This undermines our very civilisation. That a young athlete can have his neck snapped on a British street and a family who have lodged a formal complaint are still waiting 20 months later is a travesty. It’s an outrage to all parents in Britain. By now, if it involved normal civilians, you would expect answers to the most basic questions, such as, was it the police? If this case is not one that requires swift action, I just don’t understand what could be.”
Lammy’s Tottenham constituency has seen long-running tensions between police and the communities they serve. It was the starting point for the 2011 riots, the worst in modern English history.
Lammy said the IPCC needed reform: “This is another example of a desperate family left waiting for almost 20 months to understand how their son came to have his life devastated in the most appalling circumstances.”
Cole, a sports science student at Bedfordshire University, had a so-called hangman’s fracture, with considerable force used on his neck while his head was pulled back.
The shadow policing minister, Jack Dromey, said Cole’s case shows why the IPCC should be abolished.
Dromey said: “It is right that the six officers are being investigated for the grievous bodily harm that Julian Cole has suffered.
“It is extraordinary that the investigation is taking so long, once again demonstrating that the IPCC is not fit for purpose. That is why we will abolish the IPCC and put in place a tougher new oversight body to uphold the highest standards in British policing and act swiftly to root out [any] wrongdoing they find.”
The IPCC has also been criticised by the Commons home affairs committee. Its chair, Keith Vaz MP said: “The family of Julian Cole have gone through a horrifying ordeal and have seen the life of their loved one devastated.
“They deserve answers and the IPCC should have been able to tell them whether their fears about the police being responsible are correct or not. This is another case where families feel let down by the IPCC. Furthermore, I suspect one thing the family and the officers under investigation would agree on, is the IPCC must do better.”
The Cole family say they have been inspired to campaign by black families in the US who have complained of excessive police force.
Cole was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence. Police say they have dropped the case because of his condition. He is now in a care home.
The IPCC said: “Our investigators updated the Cole family just before Christmas, apologised for the length of time taken and gave reassurances over the latest timescales. Additional IPCC staff have now been allocated to this investigation to ensure it is completed as soon as possible.”
