Family of Sheku Bayoh welcome review into handling of police complaints

The family of Sheku Bayoh have welcomed a review into how complaints about police are handled.

A total of 81 recommendations for improvement have been made as part of the independent review by former lord advocate, Dame Elish Angiolini QC.

Issues relating to discrimination and how it affects public confidence in Police Scotland were covered.

The review also looked at other areas including expanding the role of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC).

Sheku Bayoh died in Kirkcaldy in 2015 after being restrained by police officers - those involved have always denied any wrongdoing.

Nobody has faced prosecution over his death, but a pubic inquiry is due to take place.

His family's solicitor Aamer Anwar said the review is a "damning" indictment of a police complaint system which is "not fit for purpose" in Scotland.

He said: "The terrifying concern for Sheku’s family was that the PIRC supposedly an independent investigating body with the equivalent powers of the police appeared powerless when it came to the most serious incident - a death in custody.

"The family asked: why should police officers be immune from having to speak to independent investigators?

"Imagine if a surgeon, teacher or social worker after a death in their care refused to tell management what happened - there would be a total outcry.

"Why should those who claim to be the guardians of law and order be allowed to pick a time and place to speak that suits them?

"In the case of Sheku it was 32 days before the restraint officers gave statements to the PIRC.  

"The PIRC claimed to represent the values of integrity, impartiality and respect, yet Sheku’s loved ones believed they failed to uphold such values and called for a fundamental review of the role of PIRC."

The PIRC said it will consider the report's findings.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "I am grateful to Dame Elish for this very significant piece of work.

"This is the first time such a review has been undertaken in Scotland.

"Scotland is well served by its police service, where every hour of every day officers and staff are responding to people who are in harm’s way or in crisis, working tirelessly to tackle crime and keep all of us safe.

"We have to recognise that things do at times go wrong, sometimes mistakenly or sometimes deliberately.

"It is in the interests of everyone in the police family, as well as the wider public, that we ensure the systems for investigating complaints or other issues of concern are as robust and transparent as possible.

"Those who raise legitimate concerns and those who are subject to investigations must always be treated in a fair and proportionate manner, helping to enhance accountability and strengthen public confidence in policing.

"The Lord Advocate and I will consider this detailed report and all of its recommendations with a range of key interests before responding formally to it."

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said: "I'm grateful to Dame Elish for her significant work, which underlines the range and depth of challenges for policing.

"Racism and discrimination of any kind is deplorable and unacceptable. I utterly condemn it.

"It has no place in society and no place in policing."