Police Scotland’s call handling procedures will be scrutinised by two independent bodies after a woman who lay injured in a crashed car for three days died in hospital.
Lamara Bell’s family said they were “devastated” after she succumbed to the critical injuries sustained last Sunday.
She and her partner John Yuill were only discovered by officers close to the M9 motorway at Bannockburn on Wednesday, despite a call being made to report the smash hours after it occurred.
Mr Yuill, 28, was dead at the scene.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has directed Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) to undertake an “urgent review” of all police call handling in Scotland, four days after the crash was discovered.
The SNP minister yesterday insisted he still has “confidence in the chief constable and his leadership of Police Scotland” in the wake of the incident.
That is despite Sir Stephen House, as he welcomed the move, claiming he wrote to ask for the review.
Mr Matheson insisted his decision was his and the force later conceded it was the Scottish Government’s idea.
The new probe will focus on all call handling procedures and it will be in addition to the inquiry by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC).
Mr Matheson said: “This independent review will provide the Scottish Government with an accurate picture of capacity and capability at present and clearly identify any issues so they can be promptly remedied.”
Hours before her death Ms Bell’s brother Martin posted a message on Facebook saying the 25-year-old had a cut, bruise, graze or broken bone on every party of her body from “her pinky toe up to her head”.
He added: “I want them (the police) to see how a huge error by a senior officer has absolutely devastated us.”
In a statement the Bell family said: “Sadly, our daughter has passed away. We now request that the media respect our privacy to grieve for Lamara at this very difficult time.”
The Yuill family added: “We are devastated by the sad news. The families have messaged each other this morning and our thoughts are with John and Lamara’s children at this very sad time.”
A PIRC spokesman said its “rigorous” investigation would focus on why the phone call was not followed up, the robustness of the missing person inquiry and why that was not linked with the information received in the initial call, as well as procedures used to log that call.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “Clearly there were failures in the way this call was handled and it is right that we look closely at the processes around call handling.
“With serving officers and others raising concerns over the changes that we have seen within control rooms, this is the least that should be expected.”