Justice for William
The Story of Wendy Crompton-mother of a Murdered Son
Published on 1. January 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
130 pages
978-1-904380-30-6 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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.
Reviews / Votes
'Looks unflinchingly at a system that is at best thoughtless and at worst downright disrespectful. It's essential reading for victims of crime and those who work with them'.Carol Anne Davis.'I confess that I did not find the book comfortable reading and almost put it to one side after the first couple of chapters. I'm glad that I continued with it as it taught me to be even more understanding in relating to those who suffer. Both Wendy and Helen have made a valuable contribution to my understanding of the problems faced by the victims of crime and those who work with them. They are living proof of what I said earlier [in the Foreword]. Suffering need not destroy. Their book is a testimony to that fact'.Terry Waite CBE'As I progressed through Justice For William, I was compelled to severely disrupt my normal daily routines, in the vain hope of being able to race to the last gripping page in a single session ... I strongly commend this story of extreme horror to those naive members of the largely law-abiding populace who, in their innocent naivety, are unaware that most incidents dramatised and portrayed on their television screens nightly, in action-packed soaps and screen dramas are in fact "borrowed" from real life events, which brought sheer disbelief and utter misery to the surviving relatives of actual victims. Most of all I would recommend it to Government Ministers, Members of Parliament, Consultant Psychiatrists, Criminologists, Senior Police Officers, Prison Governors, Coroners, members of the legal profession, Crown Prosecution Service, Senior Judiciary, Magistracy, the Sentencing Advisory Council and Human Rights protagonists'.Michael Hughes, Internet Law Book Reviews, February 2007More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Winchester
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight
210 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-904380-30-6 (9781904380306)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Helen P. Simpson | Terry Waite
Justice for William
The Story of Wendy Crompton-Mother of a Murdered Son
E-Book
01/2007
1st Edition
Waterside Press
€28.49
Available for download
Persons
Helen P Simpson the author of Justice For William is a community safety officer with Kirklees Safer Communities (a partnership between Kirklees Metropolitan Council, West Yorkshire Police Service, the National Probation Service, Victim Support and others) and is involved in the development and implementation of crime reduction strategies to lessen crime, disorder and the fear of crime. She first met Wendy Crompton, shortly after starting work with the Reducing Burglary Initiative (part of Victim Support) based at Huddersfield Police Station. They soon became firm friends and co-campaigners for better treatment of victims of homicide and serious crime. Helen has three children, Emily (30), Steve (28) and Andrew (23). Helen and Wendy share similar tastes in music, drama, art and literature - despite a sporting schism, Wendy being a fan of Huddersfield Giants Rugby League Club and Helen of Huddersfield Town Football Club (neither having yet succeeded in converting the other from rugby league to association football or vice-versa).
Content
Acknowledgements ivAbout those involved: A note viForeword Terry Waite CBE viiChapter 1. Tea and Coincidence 11 2. Coming to Huddersfield 19 3. Knock on the Door 23 4. Carry the Flowers 32 5. A Date for the Trial 37 6. Prosecution 42 7. More Questions than Answers 48 8. A Killer's Statement 56 9. Photo of a Murdered Son 6210. Take Him Down 6811. Let Battle Commence 7312. A Goodbye Kiss 7713. Making Amends 8114. Sharing Success 8715. Green of Grass and Blue of Sky 9316. Taking the Stage 9617. Tea and Transcripts 10118. Stress 10619. An Ovation For Wendy 10920. Flashbacks 11321. Conferences and Challenges 11722. Colours in the Garden 12123. The Plot Thins 126