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SCID was pleased to accept the invitation from the Victims and Witnesses Unit at the Scottish Executive to take part in the Road Death Working Group which was examining how information was imparted to families following a road death.
SCID recommended that information should be delivered in stages to bereaved families so that they had a chance to assimilate it. We recommended:
*Police to highlight immediate necessary information a family might need and leave explanatory back up leaflet with contact names of police officer and PF together with phone numbers.
*Procurator Fiscal at first meeting with family to explain investigative process and provide back up information leaflet on the same.
*Procurator Fiscal at second meeting to explain decisions following investigative process and next steps, for example no proceedings, criminal proceedings, Fatal Accident Inquiry, and to provide back-up leaflet on the same together with, in appropriate cases, additional information on the Criminal Justice System and civil actions.
Our proposals for information to be given to bereaved families in stages was rejected at this point in time but we know that following scrutiny by the Road Death Working Group the information in the pack is, at least, now accurate. The RDWG is continuing to look at other aspects of provision for bereaved families.
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