Father feels ignored by authorities 15 years after his son’s death at a stag do in Spain. He seeks justice.
Craig, age 26, died after a fight. This happened during his brother’s stag party. No one was ever convicted of this crime. A detective has a file with thirteen potential witnesses. Victims Abroad supports families who lost loved ones. They found information on four French men and nine associates.
This group may know more about Craig’s death. Ian claims his family feels totally abandoned. Ian says the government fails murder victim’s families. He says he last heard from Scotland’s government in 2012, shortly after Craig’s death in Spain.
Craig was murdered, but no one has been arrested. The Scottish government says the UK government handles these cases. Westminster does nothing, so victims are failed. Families get no answers, closure, or justice. Ian asked Nicola Sturgeon for help after Craig died.
He says he was told nothing could be done to help. Ian also contacted Kenny MacAskill. He said that he never heard back from him. His MP contacted William Hague about speaking to Spain. Nothing happened; no one intervened.
Ian says nothing changes if people stay quiet. He wonders when British police will step in. Craig was a British citizen. Without government help, he questions if there is any chance for justice. He only wants justice for Craig.
A police detective has been investigating the details. Craig’s mom, Antoinette, passed away in 2018. Ian said his son’s death ruined their family. Craig’s mother died without justice for her son.
The same detective also looked into Kirsty Maxwell’s death. She fell in Benidorm, Spain, in 2017. Kirsty was on a hen party weekend at the time. Newly married, Kirsty entered the wrong apartment. Five British men were staying there. She thought it was her friend’s room. Then, she died mysteriously.
The men were suspects, but judges cleared them. They said no strong evidence proved criminality existed. Additionally, they found nothing to indicate she did not jump. Kirsty’s dad, Brian Curry, says the case was botched.
He said there were many failures and possible cover-ups. He says deaths in the UK receive investigations but not abroad. Brian says families end up doing their own investigations. They are not experts; they must learn quickly. Dealing with grief makes it even harder. He thinks families need consistent support to navigate these issues.
A detective, Swindle, criticizes the lack of British support. Governments say they do not interfere abroad. But, Swindle thinks they should support grieving families. They should not abandon them to foreign systems.
Another victim, Jean Hanlon, went missing in Greece. This happened in 2009. She was found dead in the harbor four days later. Her three sons believe she was murdered. Greek officials failed to find her killer. The family hired a private investigator instead.
He found a suspect in the case. Police recently questioned this suspect. Her family expects charges and a trial soon. Jean’s son, Michael Porter, spoke about their struggle. Families face a crazy ordeal to get answers. He said that they fight for support from their own country.
A Scottish government spokesperson offered their thoughts. They said that their thoughts are with affected families. Ministers have met with families, and they discussed their experiences and difficulties. They will work with the UK Government.
Furthermore, they want to improve support for families for events after deaths overseas occur. They created a memo setting out agency roles. A UK Foreign Officeperson also stated that they sympathize. They offer support, including important factual information. They said their powers are limited abroad. They cannot give legal advice or investigate deaths. Local authorities hold that responsibility.