Hodge Jones & Allen

Jocelyn Cockburn, representing the Pilkington family

 

Leicestershire Police announce that they will bring no charges against police officers in relation to their conduct leading up to the tragic deaths of Fiona Pilkington and Francecca Hardwick. Their misconduct investigation, which was recommended by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, has concluded with charges being “unproven” against four officers.

 

The solicitor acting for the family, Jocelyn Cockburn of Hodge Jones & Allen LLP, has said:

 

"The Leicestershire Police decision has come as a shock to the family.  I have tried to find out the reasons for throwing out the misconduct charges but have come up against a brick wall.  DCI Brooks emailed me to say “I have reviewed your request and the Force position will be to not release the full rationale relating to the outcome of the recently held misconduct meetings.”  Therefore yet again the family have to get the information from the press rather than the police which is not right.  I hope the police will change their mind and provide the family with the full rationale.

 

"My clients hope that Leicestershire Police have learned lessons from the deaths of Fiona and Francecca.  They have in fact found individual officers much more helpful in dealing with problems they face.  However, they want to be sure that improvements are made across the board and that other vulnerable families also receive the protection and support they need. 

 

"I understand that the Leicestershire Police press statement points towards systems failures rather than individual ones and they say that better systems are now in place.  It is hoped that this is the case but why then have the police failed to make an apology and offer compensation to the Pilkington family, who are living with the devastation of their failures?  Until this happens there can be no confidence in police assurances that lessons have been learned from this tragedy and that another family will not suffer in the same way.

 

"It should also not be forgotten that the inquest verdict criticised Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire Social Services and found that their failures in dealing with this case also contributed to the deaths.  They have never accepted this criticism and have offered no apology for their failings."

 

Jocelyn Cockburn is a partner at Hodge Jones & Allen LLP. She specializes in civil actions against the police and other public authorities, public law challenges especially on human rights issues and inquests.