Families call for reform to sudden death inquiries
A group of families whose loved ones died in controversial or violent circumstances are calling for reforms on how the deaths are investigated.
Families United wants to change how Scotland's legal system deals with people who die suddenly.
They want Scotland to introduce coroners' inquests, which are used in England and Wales.
In these coroners independently analyse sudden deaths and can order police investigations.
These could go ahead even if police believe there were no suspicious circumstances around the death.
In Scotland, fatal accident inquiries are only mandatory for certain deaths and can take several years to be completed.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said it investigates every death reported to the service thoroughly and independently.
Families United was formed by Stuart Graham, whose stepson Colin Marr died in 2007, aged 23. His death was recorded as suicide.
Mr Marr, from Lochgelly, died from a stab wound to the chest in July 2007 following a row with his partner.
Fife Constabulary previously acknowledged failings with its investigation and apologised to the family.
Mr Graham told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We've been fighting for justice for the individual families but we actually got together and analysed our own cases.
"There's about 11 of us and when you look at it, we had a common fault. The failings were right at the beginning and there was no way that could be tested."
He said the current system meant that, in some cases, vital evidence might not be gathered.
But he believed reforming the system to introduce coroners' inquests could help grieving families deal with their loss.
"If the police do their investigation and say there's nothing, it would go back to the equivalent of a coroner and they could review it and the families would have an input," he said.
"Even if the original thing was right, it just allows the family to have an assurance when they talk to someone, to have somewhere to air these concerns."
In December, the probe into Mr Marr's death was widened after a key 2012 forensic report about the stab wound was reportedly withdrawn.
"This is coming up for 17 years for us," Mr Graham added. "So when we get these cases, they stay with you and the families fight and fight.
"And there are families out there who don't have the time and resources to do the fighting so they have to give up."
'Inclusive and transparent'
Annemarie Ward is the CEO of Faces and Voices of Recovery, a UK charity based in Glasgow.
She told Good Morning Scotland that she thought COPFS handled some sudden death cases with "a lack of thoroughness that we feel is needed".
"We've noticed a disturbing trend where these deaths that might involve foul play are instead being labelled as suicides or accidents," she said.
"This not only masks the real issue but it also stifles the important discussions we need to have publicly."
She said a coroner's inquest, which is used in most other English-speaking nations, was a more "inclusive and transparent system" which "involves the family and the public much more actively".
A spokesperson for the COPFS said: "We understand the impact that the loss of a loved one can have on bereaved families.
"The procurator fiscal will investigate every death reported to us thoroughly and independently. This work seeks to establish what happened and consider whether criminal proceedings or a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) would be appropriate.
"It is a strength of the Scottish system, which reflects a common European model, that death investigations are undertaken by a public prosecutor, who in Scotland is the procurator fiscal."
A Scottish government spokesperson said: "The COPFS conducts death investigations on behalf of the Lord Advocate.
"These functions are exercised independently of the Scottish government. National Records of Scotland independently publish Scotland's annual drug misuse death statistics which are based on an agreed UK-wide definition."
