Murdered Abroad exists especially for people in the UK whose loved ones are the victims of murder or manslaughter overseas.
Ask any family that has been bereaved by murder, and they will tell you that it is simply the worst possible experience in life. Could there actually be anything worse? Anything more devastating ?
Well, yes, there could be.
A murder which occurs abroad causes not only exactly the same trauma, loss, feelings of grief and futility as if it had occurred here in the UK, but it brings with it the additional difficulties of distance, language, culture, time difference, cost, incomprehensible legal and judicial systems, and having to deal with unfamiliar agencies such as the Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the police in England and Wales, and the Coroner Service.
A further factor distinguishes abroad murder cases from the rest – they take much, much longer to resolve. Five years is not at all unusual, and in many cases, it can be a lot longer.
On average, every week, of every year, more than one British citizen is murdered abroad. Some will have been on holiday, travelling, or working abroad; others will have been ex-pats. The truth is, this kind of tragedy can happen to anyone, from any background, in any circumstance.
The ripple effect of any murder is huge, but the effect of a murder abroad transcends international boundaries. Back in Britain, there are bereaved families facing a long and difficult journey with no knowledge of what to do next, at a time when they are severely traumatised.
Since Murdered Abroad was established 20 years ago (originally called Support After Murder & Manslaughter Abroad), it has supported and guided almost 300 of those families. The charity is run by four Trustees, all of whom have lived experience, having been bereaved by homicide abroad in Australia, Belgium, France, Greece and St. Martin.
Murdered Abroad provides expertise; systemic memory; a comprehensive understanding and a 24/7 approach to peer support – at no cost to its users.
Following a murder, there are immediate decisions to be made such as dealing with repatriation if a family chooses to bring their loved one's body home and whether it will be necessary to employ a lawyer in the foreign country where the crime occurred. Via the helpline, email, website and peer support meetings, Murdered Abroad is able to explain what can and cannot be done here in Great Britain and help families navigate the policies of statutory agencies.
Murdered Abroad has assisted families to find pro-bono help for mandatory inquests if the family repatriates their loved one's body and enlisted assistance from retired Detectives to give a professional opinion on what more they feel can be done to pursue justice (an aim shared by most families).
A key service provided by Murdered Abroad is peer support. Bereaved families can attend four regional meetings a year which provide a chance for them to talk to each other about their cases and share their experience in a non-judgemental safe space. They will be in a room full of people who truly understand what they are going through and they no longer feel alone.
Key achievements 2001-2021
2001
‘Support After Murder & Manslaughter Abroad’ (SAMM Abroad) established
24-7 Helpline established
2002
Successfully campaigned to ensure that inquests remained statutory after repatriation
2004
Contributed to the book ‘Coping with traumatic death: homicide’ (British version)
2010
Abroad cases included in the national Victim Support Homicide Service
2011
Commissioned research ‘Who Cares For The Families?’
Contributed to the Victims Commissioner’s ‘Review into the Needs of Families Bereaved by Homicide’ (Louise Casey CB)
2012
Instigated and collaborated to establish a Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK Police and UK Coroners (version 1 signed off)
2013
Contributed to report ‘Rebalancing the Scales – Prioritising Victims of Crime in the Criminal Justice System’ (Priti Patel MP)
2014
Gave written and oral evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee
2015
After years of lobbying for a specialist unit to handle murders abroad the Murder & Manslaughter Unit was established at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
2016
Charity name changed to ‘Murdered Abroad’
2017
Received the Community Changemaker of the Year Award from the University of Northampton
2019
Contributed to the Victims’ Commissioner’s research ‘Struggling for Justice – Entitlements and Experiences of Bereaved Families Following Homicide Abroad’ (Dame Vera Baird QC)
Participated in the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on deaths abroad, consular services and assistance
2020
Abroad cases are now mentioned in Victims’ Code of Practice following a Ministry of Justice consultation
Updated Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, UK Police and Chief Coroner (version 2 signed off).
Meet our Trustees
Eve Henderson
Co-Founder, Director, Trustee
My husband of 32 years, Roderick Henderson, was killed in France in 1997 when my family went to Paris for the weekend to celebrate his birthday.
My son and son-in-law were also attacked in the street by the gang of youths. Roderick’s death and the aftermath of a failed police investigation – no-one was ever caught for the crime – was traumatic for all of us. It was truly shocking to be left on my own to deal with the problems of language, culture and a foreign judicial process and I was even more shocked that there was no clear policy or procedure in place here in the UK to assist my family. Nine months after Roderick’s death, the Coroner returned an Unlawful Killing verdict and for the statutory agencies here in the UK, that was the end of the matter. However, with the help of pro-bono lawyers, we took the case to the ECHR on the basis of a negligent investigation in France but in 2015 some 18 years after Roderick's death, this action also failed.
Along this difficult road, my family and I amassed a wealth of knowledge that can hopefully be used to help others in a similar situation.
Brian Chandler
Treasurer, Director, Trustee
Our grandson, Liam Hogan, was killed by his father pushing him off a fourth floor hotel balcony in Crete in 2006, along with his sister, Mia, who fortunately survived.
His father was cleared of murder by a Greek court who did not call any eye witnesses. Nevertheless, the UK Coroner recorded a verdict of "unlawful killing", after a proper inquest nearly five years later.
Bren McLaughlin
Director, Trustee
My brother, Howard Lister (aged 38) was murdered in his own home in Perth, Australia, in September 1999 and buried in a pine plantation.
All three perpetrators blamed each other for causing his death, so were tried on a joint enterprise ruling that they were all involved.
They were found guilty of wilful murder and sentenced to 17 years each. One of the perpetrators obtained an appeal and had his sentence cut to 11 years for murder. He was released after serving 13 years in prison. The second perpetrator was released on parole in November 2016. The third remains in prison in Perth.
