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Police custody deaths 'highest for five years' Custody deaths represent failure - Theresa May
(about 2 hours later)
There were 17 deaths in or following police custody in 2014-15, the highest number for five years, the Independent Police Complaints Commission has said. Each death in police custody represents a failure and can "dramatically" undermine relations between the public and police, says the home secretary.
IPCC chair Dame Anne Owers said its investigations have "too often exposed the same issues". Theresa May announced an independent review into deaths in or following custody in England and Wales.
It came as a review into police custody deaths in England and Wales was announced by the home secretary.
Marcia Rigg-Samuel, whose brother Sean Rigg died in 2008, said she and other families wanted "real change".Marcia Rigg-Samuel, whose brother Sean Rigg died in 2008, said she and other families wanted "real change".
Theresa May said she had been struck by the "pain and suffering" of families, who faced what seemed to be evasiveness and obstruction of the facts. Meanwhile, official figures show there were 17 such deaths in 2014-15 - the highest number for five years.
Meanwhile, the Independent Police Complaints Commission's annual report on deaths during or following police contact said: The review will examine "procedures and processes" involving custody deaths and serious non-fatal incidents.
Dame Owers said the custody system suffered from "inadequate risk assessments, token checks on a person in custody, insufficient handovers between custody staff, a failure to recognise or properly deal with people with mental health concerns or substance abuse issues, poor liaison between police and other agencies". It comes after high-profile cases and allegations of wrongdoing.
The independent review into deaths in custody comes after high-profile cases and allegations of wrongdoing. 'Vulnerable people'
It will examine "procedures and processes" in such situations and will also cover serious non-fatal incidents. In a speech in south London, Mrs May said: "Police custody is a place where a number of dynamics meet.
In 2013, a review found that the Independent Police Complaints Commission had committed a series of blunders in its investigation of the death of Sean Rigg, a mentally ill man detained at Brixton police station. "It is a place where dangerous and difficult criminals are rightly locked up. Where officers and staff regularly face violent, threatening and abusive behaviour, and where the police use some of their most sensitive and coercive powers.
The original investigation concluded police had acted reasonably and proportionately - a finding rejected by a jury at Mr Rigg's subsequent inquest. "But it is also a place where all too often vulnerable people, often with mental health problems, are taken because there is no other place to go.
'Devastating' effects "Vulnerable people like Sean Rigg who died not far from here in Brixton police station."
Ms Rigg-Samuel told the BBC the review had been "a long time coming". The home secretary said the families of Mr Rigg and another man from London - Olaseni Lewis, who was mentally ill and died after being restrained by police in 2010 - had been sharing their experiences with her over the past few months.
She added: "What I want, and I speak for myself and on behalf of other families, is that this review is effective and brings real change on the issue of deaths in custody, and how families feel and how we are treated, and that there's proper accountability." Mrs May said she had been struck by the "pain and suffering" of families who faced what seemed to be evasiveness and obstruction of the facts.
Ms Rigg-Samuel also said families should be "at the core of the review", to give them confidence that changes will be made. She pledged the review would have the experiences of families at its heart, and its chairman - yet to be appointed - would be someone prepared to ask "difficult questions".
"When you lose a loved one in state custody, it's bad enough having to deal with the death. What's extraordinary is the systematic failures, and the answers that we cannot get, from the state officials. It's devastating for any family." In 2013, a review found the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) had committed a series of blunders in its investigation of the death of Mr Rigg.
In 2010, allegations that the IPCC had failed to properly investigate the death of another mentally ill London man, Olaseni Lewis, led to the High Court quashing the watchdog's original findings. The original investigation had concluded that officers had acted reasonably and proportionately - a finding rejected by a jury at Mr Rigg's subsequent inquest.
The plan to review how deaths in custody occur - and how they are investigated - comes after the police complaints watchdog was attacked for inadequately getting to the bottom of a number of fatalities. Ms Rigg-Samuel told the BBC: "What I want, and I speak for myself and on behalf of other families, is that this review is effective and brings real change on the issue of deaths in custody, and how families feel and how we are treated, and that there's proper accountability."
In 2010, allegations that the IPCC had failed to properly investigate the death of Mr Lewis led to the High Court quashing the watchdog's original findings in the case.
Restraint techniques
The plan to review how deaths in custody occur - and how they are investigated - comes after the IPCC was criticised for inadequately getting to the bottom of a number of fatalities.
The review will cover the lead-up to deaths, the immediate aftermath and how families are helped or supported during official investigations.The review will cover the lead-up to deaths, the immediate aftermath and how families are helped or supported during official investigations.
It will assess whether police officers properly understand mental health issues, the availability of appropriate healthcare, the use of restraint techniques, and suicides in the first 48 hours of detention. It will assess whether police officers properly understand mental health issues, the availability of appropriate healthcare, the use of restraint techniques, and the risk of suicides in the first 48 hours of detention.
What happened to Sean Rigg?What happened to Sean Rigg?
Sean Rigg, who had suffered from schizophrenia for 20 years, was arrested in August 2008 and taken to Brixton police station in south London.Sean Rigg, who had suffered from schizophrenia for 20 years, was arrested in August 2008 and taken to Brixton police station in south London.
He had been arrested on suspicion of committing public order offences and attacking a police officer in neighbouring Balham. Hours later, the "boisterous, talented" 40-year-old musician was taken by ambulance to hospital, where he was declared dead.He had been arrested on suspicion of committing public order offences and attacking a police officer in neighbouring Balham. Hours later, the "boisterous, talented" 40-year-old musician was taken by ambulance to hospital, where he was declared dead.
According to his sister, Marcia Rigg-Samuel, police told the family he had "suddenly collapsed and died", but nothing more.According to his sister, Marcia Rigg-Samuel, police told the family he had "suddenly collapsed and died", but nothing more.
Mr Rigg, who had begun his own record label and released a CD, was seen by a doctor after he became ill at the police station and given CPR when his condition worsened.Mr Rigg, who had begun his own record label and released a CD, was seen by a doctor after he became ill at the police station and given CPR when his condition worsened.
He had a history of discontinuing his medication, which led to him being arrested several times and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.He had a history of discontinuing his medication, which led to him being arrested several times and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Mr Rigg once travelled abroad frequently and had been in trouble with the police in Thailand, Switzerland and Paris, but every time he was released and sent back to the UK because of his illness, his sister said.Mr Rigg once travelled abroad frequently and had been in trouble with the police in Thailand, Switzerland and Paris, but every time he was released and sent back to the UK because of his illness, his sister said.
Mrs May said: "Police custody is the place where a number of dynamics meet. It is the place where dangerous and difficult criminals are rightly locked-up, where officers and staff regularly face violent, threatening and abusive behaviour, and where the police use some of their most sensitive and coercive powers. The Independent Police Complaints Commission's annual report on deaths during or following police contact said:
"But it is also a place where all too often vulnerable people, often those with mental health problems, are taken because there is no other place to go." IPCC chairwoman Dame Anne Owers said the custody system suffered from "inadequate risk assessments, token checks on a person in custody, insufficient handovers between custody staff, a failure to recognise or properly deal with people with mental health concerns or substance abuse issues, poor liaison between police and other agencies".
Police frustrations Deborah Coles, of the charity Inquest, which provides advice to people bereaved by a death in custody, said it was "too early to tell" if the review was more of a public relations exercise or a real attempt to bring about effective systemic change.
The home secretary pledged the review would have the experiences of families at the heart of its approach - and its chairman, yet to be appointed, would be someone prepared to ask "difficult questions".
She said: "I have been struck by the pain and suffering of families still looking for answers, who have encountered not compassion and redress from the authorities but what they feel is evasiveness and obstruction.
"I have also heard first hand the frustration of police officers and staff, whose mission it is to help people but whose training and procedures can end up causing bureaucracy and delay.
"No-one - least of all police officers - wants such incidents to happen, and I know everyone involved takes steps to avoid them.
"But when such incidents do occur, every single one represents a failure - and has the potential to undermine dramatically the relationship between the public and the police."
Deborah Coles, of the charity Inquest, which provides advice to people bereaved by a death in custody, said it was "too early to tell" if the review was more of a public relations exercise, or a real attempt to bring about effective systemic change.
"For the review to be effective bereaved families, their lawyers and Inquest will need to play an integral role in the review, and the reviewer will need to take full account of their views and experiences.
"It must also address why so many previous recommendations from reviews, inquiries and inquests have not been acted upon."
She also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There can be nothing more serious than somebody dying in police custody."