Exclusive:Around 3,200 Covid deaths still being probed by special Crown Office unit
Operation Koper is the single largest investigation of deaths in Scottish history
Around 3,200 Covid deaths in Scotland remain under investigation by a special Crown Office unit, it has been confirmed.
Operation Koper - the single largest investigation of deaths in Scottish history - was set up in May 2020 and is looking at cases across hundreds of care homes.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said more than 6,000 cases had been reported for investigation, with around 2,800 now closed.
Donald Macaskill, the chief executive of Scottish Care, previously called the probe “wholly disproportionate”. The Conservatives said it was “completely unacceptable” that so many families are still waiting for answers.
Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for COPFS, said: “Thousands of families lost loved ones during the pandemic, and we undertook the single most significant and challenging investigation of deaths in Scottish history.
“There are complex issues raised in individual cases and across groups of cases which have been reported. We have numerous requests for information or documentation which are currently with external agencies to assist with the investigation.
“We remain committed to thorough, professional and independent investigations into every reported death, providing bereaved families with answers and supporting public understanding of the pandemic’s impact.”
Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Conservative health spokesman and a practicing GP, said: “Nearly six years after Operation Koper was established, it is completely unacceptable that so many bereaved families are still waiting for answers.
“These families deserve clarity, transparency and closure – not years of uncertainty.”
He added: “The SNP must ensure these investigations are progressed as quickly as possible – regardless of how uncomfortable the findings are for them.”
The COPFS said it continues to gather information from care homes, the NHS, employers, regulators, and other agencies to ensure that all necessary and appropriate enquiries are made in relation to the deaths.
In an update to MSPs last year, it said a dedicated team of around 100 skilled staff are carrying out the necessary investigations. It has described it as “the single most significant and challenging death investigation we have ever undertaken”.
The latest figures come after the COPFS announced the first discretionary fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of someone with Covid-19.
Donald Singer, 66, a crane operator working offshore on the Ninian Southern Platform off Shetland, was airlifted from the platform by a search and rescue helicopter on April 3, 2020, after his Covid symptoms worsened. He died on May 4 that year at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
A discretionary FAI is ordered when the Lord Advocate concludes that a death raises serious public concern and that an inquiry is in the public interest.
So far two mandatory FAIs have been completed into the deaths of four men with Covid-19 who were in legal custody, while a further five are ongoing into the deaths of eight men.
“As the first discretionary FAI, this is a milestone as we work to establish a better understanding of these deaths and inform decisions made in the future,” Mr Shanks said.
A preliminary hearing will be held on December 12 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
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