Rachel: Police cleared of misconduct

8:48am Thursday 17th July 2008

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POLICE officers who investigated the drug death of a former Herefordshire student will not face misconduct charges.

But Devon & Cornwall police’s handling of Rachel Whitear’s death has been strongly criticised in an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report released this morning (Thursday).

Former Withington resident, Rachel, was 21 when she died of a heroin overdose in Exmouth on 10 May 2000.

Her mother and stepfather, Pauline and Mick Holcroft, complained about the case to the IPCC, leading to a fresh investigation by Wiltshire police in 2003.

The IPCC report, released this morning in Exeter, casted doubt on the security of the crime scene, the collection of evidence, and the decision not to hold a post mortem.

But crucially, it did not identify any misconduct by Devon & Cornwall officers, nor recommend any changes to investigations regarding drug-related deaths.

There is also doubt whether the outcome would have changed, given a different approach to the investigation.

Devon & Cornwall police have apologised for their shortcomings in a statement, but believe they conducted a thorough investigation.

“We hope that following the verdict of the inquest and the publication of the IPCC report, Rachel’s family and friends will be allowed to fully grieve her tragic death," it read.