Met Police To Reinvestigate Decision To Charge Caroline Flack

The Metropolitan Police are to re-examine the decision to charge the late TV presenter Caroline Flack with assaulting her boyfriend back in 2019.

At the time, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recommended that Flack receive a caution over the incident with her partner Lewis Burton in December 2019.

However, following an appeal from the Met Police, former Love Island presenter Caroline Flack was charged with assault by beating.

She was found dead in February 2020, with a coroner later ruling that she died by suicide after discovering that the CPS were to press ahead with the assault charge against her.

Now, the Metropolitan Police have revealed that they are making "further enquiries", stating that "new witness evidence may be available". 

"On Thursday, March 7, we referred a complaint from Caroline Flack's family to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)", the force said in a statement. "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 (DPS) to consider further", they added. "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". 

"reconsidered its advice"

"On the basis there may be new witness evidence available, we returned one aspect of the complaint back to the Met to investigate", a spokesperson for the IOPC said. 

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

Previous to this, the DPS had found no misconduct, leading Caroline's family to raise their concerns to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC then requested that the Met Police launch another investigation into the process involved in appealing against the CPS' decision, while it reviewed the Met's decision to charge Flack with assault.

While it "did not identify any misconduct" by the force, the IOPC called for the Metropolitan Police to apologise to Caroline Flack's family for not explaining their decision to appeal against the original decision from the CPS.

This apology was rejected by Caroline's mother Christine at the time. 

In July, the festival Flackstock will once again take place in Caroline Flack's honour, with Olly Murs a close friend of the presenter, announced as a headline act.

The show which takes place on July 22, will include Scottish music artist Tom Walker, X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson, The One and Only singer Chesney Hawkes, All Saints singer Shaznay Lewis, and the Irish band NewDad. 

All proceeds raised will be split equally between the UK charities Mind, Choose Love, Samaritans, and the Charlie Waller Trust.