Key Points
- Seven women engaged in prostitution murdered in Glasgow between 1991 and 2005.
- Only two cases solved, with accusations of inadequate police investigation.
- Emma Caldwell’s 2005 murder linked to serial rapist Iain Packer, convicted in 2024.
- Police missed repeated chances to stop Packer despite complaints from sex workers.
- Independent public inquiry announced into police handling of Caldwell investigation.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) February 14, 2026 – Seven women working in prostitution were murdered in Glasgow over a 14-year period, with Strathclyde Police facing criticism for failing to solve most cases.
Emma Caldwell, one of the victims, vanished from Glasgow’s streets in April 2005, her naked remains later found in Limefield Woods in South Lanarkshire. Iain Packer, a habitual user of sex workers, was convicted in 2024 of her murder and multiple rapes dating back to 1999, receiving a minimum 36-year sentence.
What Sparked the Investigation into Glasgow’s Unsolved Murders?
Between 1991 and 2005, seven women who engaged in prostitution were killed in Glasgow, but only two murders were resolved, according to reports detailing police shortcomings. Sex workers had warned authorities about dangerous clients, including Packer, through a ‘Beware Book’ in 2005, yet complaints of rapes were allegedly ignored.
As reported by Connor Gillies of Sky News, chances were repeatedly missed to apprehend Packer before he murdered Caldwell, with one survivor arrested for prostitution after reporting his attack.
Who Was Iain Packer and How Did Police Overlook Him?
Packer lured drug-addicted sex workers to remote woods 40 miles from Glasgow’s red-light district, where he throttled non-compliant victims in a pattern of sexual violence. Trial evidence at the High Court in Glasgow revealed his ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ temper and demands for women to undress against their will.
What Evidence Finally Linked Packer to Emma Caldwell?
Investigators initially pursued a false lead involving four Turkish men after Caldwell’s phone pinged near their cafe, costing £4 million in the most expensive Strathclyde Police probe at the time. Multiple women later identified Packer as their attacker, confirming he took victims to the same South Lanarkshire woods where Caldwell’s body was dumped.
What Happens Next After Packer’s Conviction?
Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance announced an independent public inquiry into the police handling of Caldwell’s murder, one of Scotland’s longest-running cases spanning 19 years.
Survivors and families continue seeking justice, with Packer’s sentencing underscoring systemic failures in protecting vulnerable women in Glasgow’s sex trade.
