Family in call for Bayoh inquiry to look at absence of prosecutions

SHEKU Bayoh’s family has called for the public inquiry into the 31-year-old’s death to be allowed to examine why police were not prosecuted after the incident.

Speaking after a meeting with Kate Forbes, the family’s lawyer, Aamar Anwar, said the family also told the Deputy First Minister of their “anger and upset” that Police Scotland appears to be rowing back from recognising the existence of institutional racism within the force.

Father-of-two Mr Bayoh died after he was restrained on the ground by six police officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in May 2015. A public inquiry into his death is ongoing. Anwar said: “The family let the Deputy First Minister know of its anger and upset that Police Scotland appears now determined to turn back the clock on the radical statement of former chief constable Iain Livingstone in accepting institutional racism.

“The family calls for a commitment by the Government for meaningful change at the end of this inquiry to let no institution stand in the way of the form of legal and regulatory change required.”

In May 2023, Livingstone admitted Police Scotland was “institutionally racist and discriminatory”. He said acknowledging the issue was essential to it becoming “an anti-racist service”.

Anwar said: “The family also called on the Government to review its terms of reference for the Sheku Bayoh public inquiry to allow the inquiry to consider why the Crown Office did not prosecute any of the police officers or Police Scotland.”

Forbes said after the meeting: “It was humbling to meet the family of Mr Bayoh and I welcomed the opportunity to hear from them directly. The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to the public inquiry establishing the facts surrounding the circumstances leading to Mr Bayoh’s death. The public inquiry is independent of Scottish ministers so it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on proceedings.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The chief constable underlined our ongoing commitment to building an antiracist, anti-discriminatory service which delivers for all communities during a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority board last month. This month, an assistant chief constable was appointed to lead this work.”

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