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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Anthony France

Metropolitan Police to reinvestigate decision to charge Caroline Flack over boyfriend 'assault'

The mother of tragic TV presenter Caroline Flack spoke out as the Metropolitan Police announced it will partly reinvestigate the lead-up to the decision to charge her.

Campaigner Christine Flack said: “We won’t stop until we get the truth.”

Love Island star Ms Flack, 40, was facing court for assaulting then-boyfriend, Lewis Burton, when she killed herself in February 2020.

The Crown Prosecution Service had said she should only get a caution.

But a senior Met officer appealed and Ms Flack was charged.

Now the force says “new witness evidence may be available” relating to the actions of officers overruling the initial CPS decision.

A coroner later ruled she took her own life after learning that prosecutors were going to press ahead with an assault charge.

In December 2019, police arrived at Ms Flack’s flat in Stoke Newington, north London after Mr Burton dialled 999, claiming his girlfriend had been “trying to kill him” while he was asleep and that he had suffered a cracked head.

Ms Flack’s mother has repeatedly criticised how police handled the case, believing her daughter was treated differently due to her fame.

Christine 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.

“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.”

A Met spokesman said: “On Thursday, March 7, we referred a complaint from Caroline Flack’s family to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

“The IOPC decided the majority of the matters had previously been dealt with and no further action was required.

“The IOPC returned one aspect of the complaint back to the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards to consider further.

“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.

“DPS officers are now making further enquiries in relation to this.”

The IOPC added: “On the basis there may be new witness evidence available, we returned one aspect of the complaint back to the Met to investigate.

“This relates to the actions of officers in appealing an initial decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to charge Ms Flack. The CPS subsequently reconsidered its advice and authorised a criminal charge.”

This is not the first investigation into the handling of Ms Flack’s case.

Following her death, the IOPC watchdog carried out a review of the Met’s decision to charge her. It “did not identify any misconduct”.

However, the IOPC asked the Met to apologise to Ms Flack’s family about not recording the reason it appealed the original CPS decision.

At the time, Ms Flack’s mother rejected the apology.

On Thursday she revealed attempts to meet Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley have been unsuccessful, adding: “He has refused to speak to me. Now it’s time the Met gave us full disclosure.”

A festival honouring the Ms Flack is returning for a third year this summer.

Singer Olly Murs will headline the Flackstock event taking place on July 22 in the grounds of Englefield House, Berkshire.

All Saints singer Shaznay Lewis, The X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson, Scottish music artist Tom Walker, The One And Only singer Chesney Hawkes and band NewDad will also perform.

Money raised from the festival will be split equally between charities Choose Love, Mind, Samaritans and Charlie Waller Trust.

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