Police spark anger by calling family 'murder-suicide' an 'isolated incident'
Police have sparked fury for calling the Epsom 'murder-suicide' an 'isolated incident'.
Emma Pattison, 45, her daughter Lettie, 7, and her husband George, 39, were all found dead at their home within the private school's grounds in Surrey, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Surrey Police confirmed a firearm was found at the scene and believe George Pattison shot his wife and daughter before killing himself.
The police confirmed that a firearm had been found at the scene and had been recovered by officers.
It was licensed and registered to Mr Pattinson, although causes of death will not be confirmed until after post-mortem examinations have been completed.
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However, the police force came under criticism in a statement that said the murder-suicide was an “isolated incident”, with many saying that there was currently an “epidemic” in male violence towards women, reports MyLondon.
Emma Pattison, 45, her daughter Lettie and her husband George, 39, were all found dead at their home within the private school's grounds in Surrey (Jonathan Buckmaster)Sharing a BBC news article, one journalist wrote: "Every woman I spoke to yesterday knew this would be the reason Emma and Lettie Pattison are gone.
"Police call it an ‘isolated incident’. But every three days in the UK, a woman is murdered by her partner or ex-partner. In this context, it is far from ‘isolated’. It is devastating."
Another user wrote: "Police forces really need to stop describing domestic homicides as an 'isolated incident'. I get the reasoning behind it (to reassure the public of no wider risk), but just say you're not seeking anyone else in connection. It's never an isolated incident, it's part of an epidemic.
"It isn't an 'isolated incident' when women are killed in their homes twice a week," one said.
The tragic case in Epsom comes a day before the sentencing of David Carrick, a former Metropolitan Police officer jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years for raping and abusing women.
Carrick, 48, from Stevenage, Herts, admitted dozens of rape and sexual offences (REX/Shutterstock)The twisted sex offender had controlled and coerced his victims before repeatedly raping them at his home in Stevenage over a 17-year period of offending.
He had locked women in small cupboards under his stairs, urinated on them, whipped them and caused them to choke on their own vomit in just a few examples of his depraved behaviour.
Carrick, 48, had been a serving firearms officer with the Met since 2001 and had been referred for his behaviour on nice occasions but had never faced misconduct proceedings.
Carrick has been jailed for life (REX/Shutterstock)Victims felt unable to report his sadistic crimes as he often threatened they would not be believed and as he said, “I am the law”. In sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remarked: “These women are not weak or ineffectual. They were victims of your criminal mindset.
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“The malign influence of men like you in positions of power stands in the way of a revolution of women’s dignity.
"It is remarkable that with one woman being driven to report an allegation against you, despite your position and power, others felt able to act. Even today, courage calls to courage everywhere and its voice cannot be denied.”
Also in London, a man has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years for murdering his partner Marlene Coleman at her home in Lewisham.
Franklin McLeod stabbed her through the neck and left her to die in a pool of her own blood after finding messages from another man on her Whatsapp.
Marlene Coleman was killed by Franklin Mcleod (Met Police)
Franklin Mcleod, 55, was found guilty of the murder of his partner, 53-year-old Marlene Coleman (Met Police)Elsewhere in the UK, recent headlines have been dominated by reports of women being murdered, abused and raped by male offenders. On Monday, a man was found guilty in Edinburgh of luring a 25-year-old woman and her young daughter up to Dundee where he killed them and buried their bodies under his kitchen floor.
Andrew Innes had met Bennylyn Burke on a dating website and convinced her to travel with him to Scotland with her two-year-old Jellica.
Double murderer Andrew Innes (PA)
Bennylyn and Jellica (PA)He then hit her with a hammer and stabbed her with a Samurai sword and killed her daughter as it “seemed logical to put her with her mum”.
He has now been jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years.
In response, a spokesperson for Surrey Police told MyLondon: “We are aware of concern and upset at the use of the term 'isolated incident' in our communication surrounding the deaths of three people at Epsom College on Sunday, 5 February.
“Our intention was to explain there was no wider risk to the public or the communities in the surrounding area, but we fully recognise the impact this language has had and we welcome this scrutiny and feedback.”
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