Suicide – A Scottish Injustice insult to Our Families

In England someone cannot be determined to have committed suicide unless it is proven beyond reasonable doubt. This is the legal level required for a prosecution to be taken in a homicide case. This is also reviewed publicly with the case being scrutinised and the subsequent inquiry being run by The Coroner who is completely independent from the prosecution services, i.e., he/she is independent from the Prosecutor and Police who ran the investigation. Some of the reasons being;-

• The Coroner satisfies the requirement of independence.
• The Inquiry satisfies the need for public transparency.
• The need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt ensures that if insurance payments are with-held from families it is legally correct.
• The process entirety ensures that Families get THE TRUTH.

In Scotland suicide is determined by the Fiscal after an investigation by Police. The determination and the way it is officially recorded is seen as being PROBABLY suicide.

• The investigation does not have to be particularly thorough.
• The findings are decided by the investigators (Fiscal and Police).
• There is no independent scrutiny.
• There is no public scrutiny.
• Families are deprived of insurance payments without recourse.
• Families have NO ACCESS TO TRUTH.

Furthermore while the determination is based on probability (no definition), therefore cannot be deemed to be certain and yet these cases are used as statement of fact in determining if it is feasible to carry out such acts.

SHOULD WE WORRY ABOUT THIS?

• In the case of Colin Marr, his death was initially based solely on Fife Police accepting the view of his fiancee who was also the chief suspect. On re-investigation, Fife police manipulated findings and even then the Sheriff stated there was no evidence to say that he took his own life only the statement of his fiancee. It was only after this that the insurance paid out to his estate at a time almost 3 years after his death.
• What if he had a wife and kids?
• What if there was no FAI?
• In another case, Professor Pounder talks of someone killed like Colin at first being ascribed to suicide and at later date someone confessed to his murder.
• Two cases very similar in one small region.
• How many innocents are written off and families ignored.

About the author

Margaret and Stuart Graham are the mother and step father of Colin Marr. This site is an attempt to develop a community to allow victims of our Justice sytem to work together rather than be isolated voices.