Police Issue Apology Over Handling Of Abuse Case.

Police have formally apologised for taking 11 weeks to interview a man suspected of a serious sexual assault at a home for disabled young adults. One of Scotland’s most senior officers said the investigation into the alleged attack “should have been more robust” and fell short of normal standards.

Colin Mather, the deputy chief constable of Central Scotland Police, was responding to a complaint from the mother of the alleged victim – a severely disabled young woman.

The man suspected of the attack, also disabled, was charged with sexual assault but has not, to date, been prosecuted. Police interviewed him only in September last year – 11 weeks after an incident was reported to the police.

Both alleged victim and attacker were residents at Camphill Blair Drummond, a pioneering “community” in Stirlingshire for adults with learning disabilities. The Herald revealed last year staff at Camphill Blair Drummond took three days to phone the police after witnessing the alleged assault. Workers said they did not want to make “a big fuss” over the incident.

Mr Mather, in a letter to the alleged victim’s mother, said: “Clearly the standard of service you have a right to expect, particularly in such difficult and distressing circumstances, has not been met and my views on this have been made clear to the head of crime management services and the officers concerned.”

The force has taken action to ensure similar mistakes are not repeated, beefing up its training of learning disabilities for its detective inspectors and sergeants. A spokesman for the force said: “We can confirm a complaint was received regarding an incident at Camphill, which was investigated and a man has been reported to the procurator-fiscal.

“We acknowledge the inquiry should have been completed in a quicker timescale than occurred and we have apologised for this. Central Scotland Police strives to deliver the highest possible level of service to the public at all times. Regretfully, in this instance those standards were not met. Learning points from the force’s internal perspective have been identified to minimise the risk of a similar situation arising in the future.”

The victim’s mother is currently suing Camphill and a local authority in connection with the incident. Last night she said: “The decision by management resulted in the initial delay in calling the police. However, there is a sense of relief Central Scotland Police has recognised its shortcomings and identified areas for development for dealing with vulnerable adults and their families.”