‘I was Iain Packer’s first victim – I’m running out of time to get justice’
The first known victim of murderer and serial rapist Iain Packer has criticized delays in investigating potential guilt by police officers investigating him, saying he was worried they would die before he was brought to justice.
Magdalene Robertson was raped by Packer in 1990, when she was just 15 years old. More than 15 years later, he killed 27-year-old Emma Caldwell in 2005, but remained free for almost two decades.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2024 after being found guilty of murdering Ms Caldwell and a number of other sexual and violent attacks on women, including raping Ms Robertson.
Strathclyde Police interviewed Packer six times during their initial investigation into Ms Caldwell’s death, but he was never treated as a suspect. The unsolved perpetrator was later brought to justice after detectives re-examined the case in 2015.
In 2024 the Crown Office and the Prosecutor Fiscal Service (COPFS) announced the need for an independent investigation into the potential culpability of Strathclyde Police officers during their investigation.
But two years later, following what police called a “crackdown on police resources across the UK”, the investigation is yet to materialise.
To talk IndependentMs Robertson said the failure to properly investigate Packer and the police officers involved in the initial investigation suffered “more than just harassment” from Packer.
“The duration of the abuse Packer suffered was brief compared to the years of abuse at the hands of the police and the Crown,” he said, adding that he was determined that the officers at the center of the investigation should be thoroughly investigated while he is still alive.
“I am 50 years old,” he continued. “This happened to me when I was 15. This had to be stopped. It should have been eliminated 20 years ago. They gave me another 20 years of this.”
Ms Robertson did not report Packer to the police during the abuse for fear she would not be believed, but was sought out by officers following Ms Caldwell’s murder as someone who was said to have had bad experiences with him.
She was questioned as part of the initial inquest into Ms Caldwell’s death in 2006 and revealed that she had been raped by Packer as a child. But he said no one from Strathclyde Police ever contacted him again and Packer was not being pursued as a suspect.
Instead, officers focused on the four Turkish men and doggedly pursued them until the case against them collapsed in 2008.
Strathclyde Police later merged with other Scottish forces to form Police Scotland in 2013, and two years later Ms Caldwell’s murder was revisited.
But there are still nine more years until Packer is imprisoned. During this time, he was free to commit other sexual and violent attacks.
An independent investigation into the police response to Ms Caldwell’s death, conducted separately from any criminal investigation, was launched in December 2025 and evidence gathering is currently ongoing.
Ms Robertson said she hoped the inquiry would give her some answers about the botched investigation. But he worries he will run out of time to expose any potential corruption.
“It’s really important that we make sure these police officers are investigated before they die,” he said. “This isn’t fair. This should have ended from now on.” [her rape] reported for the first time.
“A lot of people were injured,” he continued. “The police and the Crown allowed this man to attack people. I want to know what happened.”
He added: “For me there’s no trust in the police or the Crown. That’s how I feel about it. They don’t really care, they don’t care.”
His criticism came during the launch of the Beware Book podcast, It sheds light on a series of brutal murders that shocked Glasgow between 1991 and 2005.
In the final episode, Ms Robertson revealed she was first told of an investigation into the potential culpability of police officers in 2019 and called on authorities to ensure those responsible for any wrongdoing are investigated before they die.
A COPFS spokesman said:c “The Lord Advocate has ordered an independent investigation into potential culpability by police officers in this case. This has not been possible at this time due to pressures on police resources across the UK.
“Discussions are ongoing to explore options to take this forward.
“Our thoughts are with Emma’s family and everyone who suffered at the hands of Iain Packer. COPFS fully supports the independent Public Inquiry and will co-operate with the chairman and the inquiry team as appropriate to help provide answers.”
Police Scotland deputy chief constable Alan Speirs said Ms Caldwell’s family had shown “incredible courage and determination” following the murder, adding that the force was “absolutely determined” to support the investigation.
A spokesman for the inquiry said: “The Emma Caldwell inquiry was formally launched on 9 December 2025, giving it the legal authority to consider evidence. The inquiry is in the process of collecting and analyzing the evidence it receives. This is a significant task and will take time to conduct a thorough investigation.”
“However, Lord Scott, the chairman of the inquiry, is conscious of the time that Emma’s family, witnesses and others are waiting for answers, as he said in the video update. There are no delays in the inquest hearings.”
