Not so random research question

[m31andy]

Oh help me, oh wonderful friendslist, I'm in a bit of a bind.

If a person were to be badly injured in the commission of a crime (say, for instance, joyriding in a stolen car...), would there be a police presence when the next of kin presents him/herself at the hospital? Obviously the injured party would be arrested if/when (s)he is in a fit state to be so. But in the meantime? How much of the nature of the crime would be related to the next of kin, if the joyrider was over the age of majority? Would this differ if the next of kin is not a blood relation?

Have things changed in the last twenty years? The incident I wish to write about is set in London in the early 1980s.

Thoughts? Facts? Ideas? Flames?

MTIA!

And yes, to those of you who think you know what I'm talking about. It's that fic.

Comments

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

This is very interesting, but all I can add is speculation.

Actually, another question first - who does notify the next of kin when someone is taken to hospital after a car crash? Is it the police or the ambulance service or the hospital after the person has been admitted?

If the person was very badly injured, I imagine there wouldn't be a continuous police presence until they were conscious and fit to be questioned/arrested/charged. Would tie up manpower!

How much would the police tell the next-of-kin about the patient being suspected of an offence? Why not tell them? For instance, the next-of-kin usually (although seemingly not in your case) can give information about whether the owner of the car was a friend or relation and was being driven with consent, what the patient was doing driving at that place at that time, etc. In other words, the next of kin is a source of information that could help to decide on whether any/what offence has ben committed.

[m31andy.livejournal.com]

Oh, good question. Actually, I think it's normally the police, as far as I'm aware. You do get the news stories "Five killed in bus crash, police working to notify next of kin."

Which is a bugger, as for the story purposes, I require the hospital calling Y to tell him that X is there and can he come down and speak to the doctor. Hmm.

I think there might be privacy problems with the next of kin being told anything prior to conviction? And while there may be valid reasons for formal questioning of related parties, this isn't the time or the place. I think. Unless there's something formal? Not sure. Hmm.

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

It seems the police inform next-of-kin of a fatality, but just serious injury?

Was just coming back (I'm so distracted today!) to say:

(1)this sounds like a very interesting fic.

(2) I think things have changed a lot in 20-30 years. The police have always necessarily been careful about who is told what, but more generally, our stringent approach to data protection (in the public sector you can't tell anyone anything about anyone else, even when it is counter-productive not to tell them) is a relatively recent development.

[m31andy.livejournal.com]

Well, I was working from the "police co-ordinate RTA response", as far as I'm aware? Hmm. Unless I get absolute confirmation that they would, I think I'll go with the hospital calling Y.

As for interesting... Hah, well yes. Thanks. Or do you mean in the Chinese sense? It's all greengerbil's fault, and that's all I'm going to say about the fic for the moment. (I think you can guess who X and Y are, of course?)

Yes, of course, we're looking at the early 80s, so information is definitely handled differently. But unless the NoK has to be officially informed of the fact that the injured party is either in custody or (more likely) on Police bail (if you can be on bail without actually being formally arrested. Or can you be arrested while unconscious? Hmm.) I think I'm going to go with an informal apprisal of the facts. It turns out that the copper at the hospital has slightly more personal reasons for being there, anyway.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I require the hospital calling Y to tell him that X is there and can he come down and speak to the doctor. Hmm.
Hmmn - if villain is unconscious, do the police already know who the next of kin are? And if they do, and they know the villain's a villain, is he a known villain whose nok might also be villains, or at the very least cover up for him?

What if the person in the hospital who knew that Y would want to know about X (or, you know *g*) was a nurse who knew them personally? If X and Y are who I think they are, then they seem to know alot of nurses... *g* would something like that work? Then it wouldn't have to be official?