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Police
involvement in unexpected sudden young death
As a serving Police Officer I have been asked by
Alison Cox of CRY to produce a short guide of what to expect when a sudden
death occurs in relation particularly to young victims and what to expect in
relation to enquiries by various authorities. This is by no means an in depth
technical study nor will it necessarily deal with specifics as procedures will
obviously differ from place to place.
Sudden death at any time but particularly with regard
to the young is probably the most traumatic thing that anyone will have
dealings with. Not only are relatives subjected to the most appalling
psychological stress from what has occurred but added to this are strains
placed upon them by dealing with the various Authorities they will come into
contact with and especially any Police enquiries.
Any sudden death and especially that of a child will
be subject to investigation of some form or other. This may be through the
Coroner's Districts or usually, in the case of a child, by the Police who will
conduct enquiries into the matter.
The reason for Police involvement is obvious and is in
case of suspicious circumstances. It may seem that parents are being
automatically interrogated as if they are suspect murderers and subjected to
the fear that they are going to be carted off to jail and locked up.
Questions are obviously asked to establish the facts
surrounding what has occurred and usually this information goes to assist the
pathologist and finally the Coroner in inquiring into the cause of death
through the means of an Inquest.
Usually the enquiries are conducted by a uniformed
officer, and while it may seem that their manner may not be all that could be
hoped for, it must be remembered that that officer probably is young in
service and has no more wish to be there than the family to deal with him or
her. Usually the dealings will be fairly straightforward but could involve the
attendance of a supervisor in the form of a sergeant and possibly a Scene of
Crime Officer (SOCO) Photographer.
While to the victim's family this is a huge intrusion
and investigation it is not usually indicative of being the start of a murder
enquiry. If there are suspicious circumstances it will soon become blatantly
obvious as the first things that would happen would be that the scene would be
sealed, everybody removed from the premises, and a log would be kept of
comings and goings. Police Officers would start to don protective paper suits
and there would be a massive Police presence and involvement.
If this is not occurring the likelihood is that the
family is not about to be taken away and locked up although this will still be
a fear while persons are still in a state of shock and numb as to what is
actually happening to them.
Usually, unless the deceased has been under direct
medical treatment, a post mortem examination will be conducted to establish a
cause of death. This is because a death cannot be certified unless a medical
practitioner has had direct dealings and is aware of what has transpired.
Occasionally, especially in young children the post
mortem will be inconclusive. This is by no means unusual in dealing with the
conditions lumped under the heading of Sudden Death Syndrome. Again it does
not mean that anyone is going to be immediately arrested and locked up. It
probably means that the cause of death is not obvious and cannot immediately
be established. Further tests may be required.
Something that should not be overlooked is the
previous medical treatment of the deceased and any relevant medical history or
observations. This is vital, especially if the records were not local, as they
may not be automatically available to the Pathologist conducting the post
mortem. A history of unexplained happenings or the connection with certain
events that have occurred in the past may be vital in reaching certain
conclusions.
Also one should be guided by any dealings with local
Coroner's Officers. They are usually extremely approachable and can usually
clear up any fears with the answering of a few simple questions. Do not be
afraid to ring them and ask. They are the experts and can explain the whole
system.
Coroner's Inquests, while they are a court of law, are
what the title implies - an official Inquiry into an unexplained death in an
attempt to establish the facts. They are not places where persons will be
questioned as if they are at a Crown Court. Questioning is only allowed to
establish fact, not to find a person guilty or not guilty of an offence.
Fear of authority and the unknown is only natural
especially as I have already stated when one is in a state of shock and quite
unable to function correctly as a normal human being. All of us who deal with
this kind of situation are well aware of this and will deal with the matter as
delicately as possible. However, the questions do have to be asked and it must
be remembered that they are sometimes also for the good as some of these
conditions are hereditary and it may prevent further tragedy in the future.
 I hope that this short article goes some way to assist
with giving an insight into the world of officialdom and helps dispel fear
that will naturally occur in situations that I am all too familiar with.
Peter Edwards is an Accident
Investigation Officer with the Gloucestershire Constabulary, dealing with the
specialist investigation of serious and fatal road traffic accidents, a post
he has held for the past 20 years. He has 28 years service in the Force and
has been a Traffic Officer for 24 years. As a result of his work he has a wide
experience of dealings with various Coroner's Districts and inquests. His
wife, Rachel, is the CRY representative for Gloucestershire. In June 1997,
their son Alexander, who was 12 years of age, collapsed during a cricket match
at school and died a week later as a result of dilated cardiomyopathy.
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