Part 6. Family liason Flashcards
What is the legal obligation behind family liaison officers?
Section 4 of the Victim Rights Act 2002;
Defines family of deceased as victims
A family liaison plan should be developed to achieve a partnership approach with the family and consider lines of enquiry/intelligence.
What are some things the plan should consider?
- selection of the FLO
- exit plan for the FLO
- objectives of the FLO
- assessing most appropriate way to interview family (ie specialist interviewers?)
- info which can be released/withheld from family
- requests made by family
- complaints made by family
- liaise with victim support/other services
After the FLO has stood down (a move you would have planned for in an ‘exit plan’) what happens if they’re contacted by the family?
They must report this to the OC INV
Risk assessments regarding FLOs… what 3 things should the OC INV consider when reviewing the appointment of an FLO?
- Their suitability for the role
- Whether additional FLOs are needed
- Wishes of the family
What if the suspect is within the family?
The OC INV should consider…
- FLO’s welfare & safety
- increase monitoring of FLOs work
- the level of info being shared with the family
- the process for managing intelligence from family
- need for FLO to be clear in their interactions with family
- importance of fully documenting every interaction with the family
- deploy a more experienced FLO?
- deploy a deputy FLO?
- not using the FLO in the arrest/search of a family member
You’re appointed as a FLO for a homicide. You have to meet with the family as soon as possible; but first you must…?
- chat to OC INV about parameters of info to be disclosed
- familiarise yourself with Job, the family dynamics, culture, lifestyle, religion, any special requirements like disabilities
- familiarise yourself with any intel, previous police involvement etc
- est what contact family have already had, what they’ve been told, what info is already in the public domain.
How should you record your info as FLO?
In a dedicated notebook and also on a job sheet.
What are some things the FLO should do intially
- provide immediate info as appropriate and explain what happens next ie PM process
- provide NOK/coronial booklet (note 24hr timeframe for objection to PM)
- establish any immediate evidence/info/rumours to pass on to OC INV
- address any safety concerns ie threats/intimidation
- help with practical support ie transport
- protect family from unwanted media intrusion
- arrange temporary housing if their home is a crime scene (victim support)
- if appropriate you can even facilitate a meeting with the crown for them to explain decisions made
Explain the financial support available to victims including families of homicide victims?
Government support (through victim support)
- discretionary grant of up to $1500 for families of homicide victims
- free counselling for families, initially 6hrs but able to increase to 15 hours, and a max of 30 hrs
ACC can help with costs of burial, cremation, and ceremonies
A max permitted amount may be claimed, or the cost of the funeral, whichever is less.
Who decides what info is to be disclosed to families?
The OC INV
What should the family be notified of?
- programs, remedies and services available as victims (s11)
- the progress of the investigation (s12 legal requirement)
- the family’s role as witnesses in the prosecution
What must the FLO do when an offender is arrested?
Inform the family of their rights as per VNR and provide form to do so
Make all reasonable efforts to ascertain views on bail (communicate these via op to bail or covered report to prosecutor)
Inform the family of charges laid, reasons why/why not, date of court appearances, bail decisions, any name suppression etc
What happens to tissue samples taken from the body?
They are sent to ESR for analysis
Then retained at ESR. Small tissue samples do not require interment.
Police should seek views of family re disposal, offer to dispose on behalf of family.
What are some sources of info a FLO might use to determine the victim’s lifestyle?
- friends
- colleagues
- partners
- associates
- hobbies and habits
- travel movements
- customers
- religious leaders
- cultural association
What are some passive data sources that a FLO might use to obtain lifestyle information about the victim?
NIA
CID
medical history
Mental health records
HSMU
mobile phone records
Internet usage
Vehicle details
Banking info
Personal documents, diaries etc
Immigration/passport data
Photos and videos of the family/friends
