Information for bereaved families and friends following murder or culpable homicide

Section 1: Important contacts

1.1 Key contacts for keeping in touch

You can use this section to help you keep a note of the names, addresses and phone numbers of the main people you might need to speak to about what is happening.

Police

For advice and information about the progress of the investigation and the legal system in general:

The police Family Liaison Officer (FLO):

Duty hours contact number:

Out-of-hours office contact:

For registering concerns or complaints about the investigation:

The Senior Investigating Officer (SIO):

Postal address and telephone number:

The Procurator Fiscal (PF)

For advice about the criminal prosecution (and the post mortem examination, its outcome and likely timing of release of the body for the funeral):

The Procurator Fiscal:

Telephone number (office hours):

Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service

For information about the progress of the criminal prosecution and the types of support that may be available to you:

Victim Information and Advice (VIA) Officer:

Telephone number (office hours):

Support organisations

For practical help and information and someone to talk to in confidence:

Your local Victim Support Scotland (VSS) service:

Telephone number:

(or the VSS national office on 0131 668 4486, or helplines on 0845 603 9213 or 0845 30 30 900) www.victimsupportsco.org.uk

For support from others who may have been through similar situations:

Petal (People Experiencing Trauma and Loss):
(for those affected by murder and suicide)

Telephone helpline: 01698 324502
E-mail: info@petalsupport.com
www.petalsupport.com

Other:

Your GP

You may also find it helpful to keep your GP's contact details in this section:

GP:

Telephone:

1.2 The police Family Liaison Officer (FLO)

Who is the FLO?

Very soon after a death you will be introduced to a specially trained police officer known as a Family Liaison Officer (FLO). He or she has received training about the needs of people bereaved in circumstances like yours. FLOs are also experienced investigators.

The FLO will give you a telephone number or numbers where you will be able to contact them, and they will tell you when they will be available. They will work with you throughout the police investigation and may be assisted by other FLOs.

What is the role of the FLO?

The FLO acts as a contact point between you and the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) who directs all parts of the investigation. The FLO is part of the investigation team and has specific tasks to carry out. They have two main functions:

• to gather all available information from you and other family members about the person who has died and to pass that information on to the SIO and
• to act as a point of contact between you and the SIO, and to keep you updated about developments in the investigation.

The FLO will also:

• help you with immediate tasks, such as identifying the body
• keep you informed of progress with the investigation
• with your consent, ensure you are referred to your local victim support service or other voluntary group
• during the police investigation, give you advice and guidance about how the criminal justice system works
• help you to manage any media interest in the case
• help answer any questions you may have and where possible direct you to someone else who can help.

If your family is estranged or separated, the FLO will arrange to notify other people of the death on your behalf. They will also contact other people if their relationship to the person who died means they are entitled to be notified.

Will the FLO be involved throughout proceedings?

The FLO will work with you for a limited time and then hand over the liaison role to those who will prosecute the case. More details of how and when this will be done are given in the next section.

Liaison between the FLO and those who will prosecute any criminal case

From an early stage, the FLO will liaise with the Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service. VIA is part of the Scottish prosecution service, called the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). The next section gives more information about the VIA service and the arrangements for liaison between the FLO and the VIA officer.

1.3 The Victim Information and Advice (VIA) officer

Who is the VIA officer?

The VIA officer is there to update you about the progress on the case and give you general information about the criminal justice system. They can also refer you to organisations that can offer practical and emotional support if that would be helpful.

When your case is referred to the Procurator Fiscal, a VIA officer will provide you with information and advice about what is happening. Because they work for the Procurator Fiscal, they have direct access to information about the case.

What is the role of the VIA officer?

The VIA officer can tell the FLO the outcome of preliminary court proceedings. For example, they will explain if the accused is in custody or has been released on bail.

The FLO will withdraw from the case and pass responsibility to
VIA for giving you information. When this happens will depend
on the circumstances of the case. It may be after the funeral, after the accused first appears in court, or it may be later if police investigations have not been completed.

A meeting will be held so that you can meet the VIA officer before the FLO withdraws from the case. Until that meeting has taken place, all liaison with you will be through the FLO.

The VIA officer will provide information and advice up to the end of the criminal case, including any appeal. They can also give you information about sources of support after the court case is over (see also section 7).

To find out more about VIA, call 01389 7395577 or 0844 561 3000 or go to www.crownoffice.gov.uk click on "Are you a victim of crime?". Unlike police Family Liaison Officers, VIA staff do not work shifts or have out-of-office contact numbers. You can contact VIA during office hours and, if you leave a message outwith these times, they will call you back as soon as possible.