Members’ Meeting, Gloucester, 28 Feb 2026

Once again we were kindly allowed to hold our Members Peer Support meeting, the first of 2026, in Gloucester.  Huge thanks go to the police at HQ for their continued help and support at this Event.

The Event was well attended by 19 members, including a new family joining us for the first time and our police advisor Bernie K.  Our Guest Speaker was Joshua Reynolds MP.  Joshua delivered an engaging and thoughtful contribution, speaking passionately about his decision to support his constituents Maggie and Brian and Murdered Abroad's campaign in relation to the Victims and Courts Bill.

He highlighted the ongoing inequality faced by families whose loved ones are murdered abroad, and the importance of ensuring these victims are formally recognised within legislation so they can access statutory support.  Joshua also explained the parliamentary “ping-pong” process between the House of Commons and the House of Lords, outlining the challenges, negotiations, and scrutiny involved in reaching agreement on final legislative wording.

Joshua demonstrated a strong understanding of the work of Murdered Abroad and took time to listen carefully as members shared their experiences and frustrations, particularly in relation to support received rom the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and other agencies. He also referenced estimates from the Parliamentary Library, suggesting that extending support to families of overseas homicide victims could cost in the region of £1 million per year.  A miniscule amount of money in relation to government spending but with huge benefits to families bereaved by a homicide abroad.

Unfortunately, Minister Alex Davies-Jones, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Victims, was unable to attend at short notice. We remain hopeful she will be able to join us at our Northampton meeting in June.

We were also grateful to be joined by Bernie K, a retired Detective Chief Superintendent and Police Advisor to Murdered Abroad, who was able to assist our new member with the issues she is currently facing.   Drawing on his extensive experience, Bernie answered questions from all attendees providing valuable insight into the tools and processes available to Senior Investigating Officers and Family Liaison Officers in cases of homicide overseas.