The total deaths of people in police custody or following contact with the police in England and Wales since 1990 is 955 and all deaths including pursuit and shooting is 1,447 according to research carried out by INQUEST(United Campaigns for Justice and Accountability) The Human Rights Act guarantees everyone the right to life. In practice this is interpreted as requiring the state to investigate deaths linked to the authorities and hold accountable those responsible for unlawful killings. In spite of this guarantee it has proved almost impossible to hold anyone accountable. No police officer has been convicted of manslaughter for a crime committed while on duty since 1986, though since then hundreds have died in police custody or after contact with the police. Time and again, the Crown Prosecution Service has been unwilling to prosecute police officers, and in only one case, in 1969, has a police officer been convicted. See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/19/simon-harwood-police-officer-not-guilty

Pray: that authorities would honour their ‘duty to protect’ people in their custody, pray also for a ‘much discussed’ national enquiry into these statistics to be a reality in 2013. May all that is hidden be revealed. (Ps.103:6)

More: http://inquest.gn.apc.org/website/statistics/deaths-in-police-custody