Deaths in custody are on the rise

November 6, 2011 in Custody Deaths & Abuse, Home Feature, Police & Prison Affairs by Larry Fedja

all credits: PressTV
published: 30th October 2011

The number of British people, whose loved ones are killed by police, is steadily rising with the number now reaching 3,180 since 1969, a Press TV report says. Hundreds of Britons marched from Trafalgar Square in central London to the Downing Street on Saturday in an annual event to highlight the death of those in police custody, Press TV correspondent reported from London.

The event now entering its 13th year has seen a constant rise in the number of people who have died, either as the result of police brutality or in police custody, said the report.

Despite the increase in the number of people who have been killed either in or directly after police custody, no police officers had ever been convicted of murder or manslaughter and the families still seek answers.

The families of Ian Tomlinson, the newspaper vendor who died at the G-20 summit, and Jean Charles De Menezez who was killed by the police on the London underground were among those seeking justice.

“And so was the family of Mark Duggan, The latest man to be shot dead by police in Britain. His killing sparked unprecedented unrests across the country in August,” the Press TV report added.

Speaking in advance of the march, Marcia Rigg, sister of Sean Rigg who died in police custody in Brixton in August 2008 said, “We will be marching to remember all our loved ones and to remind the government that we are not going away. We need justice and positive action taken to ensure that this terrible list of deaths at the hands of the state has no more victims added to it.”

According to the independent police complaints’ commission, on average one person dies a week as the result of contact with the police, and that does not even count the number of deaths that occur in prison, immigration centers and mental institutions.

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