1 week Ago
By Jamie Roberton A UK police force has apologised and withdrawn a threat to prosecute a grieving mother unless she deletes a damning review of the investigation into her daughter's death. Caroline Charters was warned that she faced possible criminal prosecution unless she destroyed all copies of the official review into Gloucestershire Constabulary's actions following her daughter Danielle Charters-Christie's sudden death in February 2021. Gloucestershire Constabulary – which originally commissioned the review and directly handed it to Ms Charters last year – said it had since identified "a serious data breach" and was compelled to act.
The force deployed officers to Ms Charters' home in Greater Manchester and sent multiple emails to demand its deletion, raising the prospect of "legal enforcement action" under the Data Protection Act. The threat to prosecute the mother-of-four sparked outcry, with author JK Rowling declaring that she would fund any legal defence. If they prosecute this bereaved mother, I stand ready to fund her defence.
https://t.co/s86sq4UFUl — J.K.
Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 11, 2025 A government spokesperson issued a statement to remind police to "treat bereaved families with compassion" and "use their resources to pursue perpetrators". Gloucestershire Constabulary has now dropped its threat to prosecute, telling Ms Charters in writing on Tuesday: "Although you have declined to do so [delete the review] we have decided not to take this matter any further, at this time". The force's assistant chief constable concluded the letter by saying: "May I take this opportunity to apologise to you and your family for our oversight and the way our attempts to rectify it may have impacted you and your family".
Ms Charters told Channel 4 News that she believed the U-turn "proved they were just trying to threaten and intimidate me into giving up". She added: "Never underestimate the lengths a mother will go to, to establish the truth. I will not.
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