
Ann - Interview 24
Male
Age at interview: 57
Brief outline: In 2005 Ann's son, Westley, was murdered. He was attacked by a man with a knife. Ann and her family were devastated. Ann started the organisation KnifeCrimes.org which supports other victims of crime and which aims prevent other knife attacks.
Background: Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
Audio & video
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
And how did you hear about it?
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
Could you have done that for her?
With her, no. No because I think she, I think when I said how disgusted I was at certain elements of the criminal justice system, instead of just listening I think she felt that I was directing it personally at her, I don’t know because I never actually had any personal arguments, but I think I probably displayed a negativity.
I think it as simple as pie to help families that are going through this kind of grief, and it’s simple by the mere fact that sometimes the desperation is so great that you just need somebody to listen, that’s the most important thing, so really Victim Support just could do with some tweaking, if you like, some training in dealing with serious victims’ families. I mean they receive an awful lot of money from the government to, to do that service, invariably, and that service is given to everyone, which is fantastic, it you know, somebody that suffers a burglary or a minor, you know incident, has the right to have Victim Support, and that’s fantastic. But dealing with victims’ families that have suffered sudden death through, and when I say sudden death, it’s not just murder of course, sudden death that is shocking, it can be somebody run over, suicide, which must rate very closely in that, in what that must do to a family, and there’s no-one answerable, so I think that specialised, there should be within victim support certain people that are specially trained to deal with.
So you don’t think she had any specialist training this person?
Well, I understand that Victim Support do have training, but, as I say.
She couldn’t answer certain questions that you wanted answered for example?
Well I don’t think she was consistent. You know, a month down the line did I get any phone call, two months down the line, did I get a phone call?
No?
A year down the line did I get a phone call? You know to me somebody that’s prepared to support, is someone that thinks, “I wonder how Westley’s Mum is at the moment?” Oh…
You’ve never had follow up phone calls?
No. And I don’t think that’s uncommon, you know, you know other families that I am involved with have said the same. It may not be the fault of Victim Support people individually, I’ve got no criticism, I must emphasise that, you know the lady that came was very nice, it’s not that I’m criticising her, but I am criticising the training perhaps that they’re getting. I know that I used to think well perhaps it was me, but there are far too many other families that say the same.
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
I’m still fighting it. Yes.
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British
- Age at interview:
- 57
- Sex:
- Male
- Background:
- Ann was in business (now retired). She has 3 children (1 murdered). Ethnic background/nationality: White British