A probe into the Metropolitan Police’s handling of allegations against presenter Caroline Flack before her tragic death has been quietly closed by the police watchdog.
The Love Island host was accused of assaulting her then-boyfriend, Lewis Burton, with a lamp at her flat in Islington, north London, in December 2019.
The Crown Prosecution Service had initially chosen not to charge the 40-year-old star, but this was appealed by officers at the Met, and the decision was overturned.
Ms Flack took her own life several weeks before she was due to stand trial over the incident.
Following her death, her mother complained about the force’s handling of the investigation, claiming her daughter’s celebrity status had influenced the decision to charge her and labelling the court proceedings a “show trial”.
At an early court hearing, it emerged Mr Burton did not support the prosecution, and the pair remained a couple.
The Met referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in March last year. However, a review of the Met investigation was closed by the watchdog in January this year, the IOPC has now confirmed.
A spokesperson said the complaint contained a “a number of allegations” about the force’s investigation into the alleged assault, but they found the majority required no further action because they had already been investigated by the Met and the findings reviewed by the IOPC.
However, they did direct the force to investigate the actions of the officers who appealed the initial decision by the CPS not to charge Ms Flack. It found “no new evidence that would alter any previous outcomes”.
This finding was reviewed by the IOPC, which in January concluded it was “reasonable and proportionate”.
“We received a complaint referral from the Met Police on 7 March 2024 containing a number of allegations about the force’s investigation into an alleged assault involving Caroline Flack in December 2019,” an IOPC spokesperson said.
“We determined the majority of the allegations had already been investigated by the force and later reviewed by the IOPC, so no further action was required.
“On the basis there may be new witness evidence available, we directed the Met to investigate one aspect of the complaint. This related to the actions of officers in appealing an initial decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) not to charge Ms Flack.
“Five allegations were returned to the force to resolve in a proportionate manner. Outcomes were provided to the complainant by the Met in June and in July, which found no new evidence that would alter any previous outcomes.
“The complainant asked the IOPC to review the outcome. Following that review, in January 2025 we found that outcome to be reasonable and proportionate.”
An inquest into Ms Flack’s death concluded she had taken her own life on 15 February 2020.
Coroner Mary Hassell said the television star struggled with her mental health and having her case “played out in the national press … was incredibly difficult for her”.
“I find the reason for her taking her life was she now knew she was being prosecuted for certainty and she knew she would face the media, press, publicity – it would all come down upon her,” she added.
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment.
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