Justice for William (PDF)

Wendy Crompton's son William and his girlfriend Fiona were killed in an horrendous attack by another young man when William was just 18 years old. Wendy's experiences of what followed are set out in this book which tells how, as a secondary victim of crime, she was treated in ways that ranged from unthinking insensitivity to downright prejudice and lack of respect. This and being kept out of 'the loop' left her anxious, stressed, mistrusting and suspicious of people.This extended to the actions of certain police officers, paramedics and doctors, her 'supporter' from Victim Support (who took too much for granted and at one point went off to watch 'a more interesting case' in the court next door), the coroner's officer who prevented her husband from kissing William goodbye, the detective who implied that her son was better off dead than alive and the funeral director who told her 'You can't afford flowers'. The plight of Wendy Crompton and other secondary victims who have suffered comparable torment was the subject of a feature in the Daily Mirror on 4 December 2006 and Justice For William was eagerly awaited by a media critical of Government withdrawal of financial support for 'lifeline' conferences between people affected by some of the worst crimes in Britain, the critical importance of which is emphasised in the book. Justice For William is a hard-hitting, challenging and at times raw account: a cautionary tale enhanced by new author Helen P Simpson's vivid writing. Helen met Wendy through Helen's work with the Reducing Burglary Initiative in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire after her curiosity was aroused by the words 'NO CONTACT' on Wendy's case file. The story of their friendship is an object lesson for anyone coming into contact with secondary victims of homicide and other serious offences - as are the more enlightening illustrations of decent people who lent Wendy support.