Sally Clark R.I.P.
Just heard on the news that Sally Clark, who was wrongly convicted of smothering her two babies to death, and later acquitted, has been found dead at her home, probably by her own hand. It seems that she never got over the effects of being wrongly accused of killing her children.
This is extremely sad. There is also a local connection here: Sally was born in Salisbury and went to the same grammar school as me (South Wilts School for Girls), although she lived elsewhere when her children died of cot-death. Another local woman, Angela Cannings, lived just around the corner from me when 2 of her children died from cot-death (a third died from cot-death, the fourth lived). She was also wrongly convicted and served two years in prison and was disfigured when other prisoners threw boiling water in her face. Her solicitor was my mother's boss (and now specialises in these types of cases). As I watched the news of Sally's probable suicide, I hoped that Angela Cannings manages to stay sane and keep making a life for herself with her husband and daughter. I met her once - I was in Tesco's and she was behind me in the queue and she helped me put my heavy basket on the conveyer belt. I recognised her but didn't say anything to draw attention to her, because I realised that it might be dangerous for her (some stupid, ignorant people round here still think she murdered her kids - if so, why didn't she kill her surviving daughter?)
I'm glad that things are slowly changing in the legal system to ake such miscarriages of justice rarer, but sadly, it's far too late for Sally Clark. I hope she's at peace now. But what an awful blow for the family, who have already been through so much...
This is extremely sad. There is also a local connection here: Sally was born in Salisbury and went to the same grammar school as me (South Wilts School for Girls), although she lived elsewhere when her children died of cot-death. Another local woman, Angela Cannings, lived just around the corner from me when 2 of her children died from cot-death (a third died from cot-death, the fourth lived). She was also wrongly convicted and served two years in prison and was disfigured when other prisoners threw boiling water in her face. Her solicitor was my mother's boss (and now specialises in these types of cases). As I watched the news of Sally's probable suicide, I hoped that Angela Cannings manages to stay sane and keep making a life for herself with her husband and daughter. I met her once - I was in Tesco's and she was behind me in the queue and she helped me put my heavy basket on the conveyer belt. I recognised her but didn't say anything to draw attention to her, because I realised that it might be dangerous for her (some stupid, ignorant people round here still think she murdered her kids - if so, why didn't she kill her surviving daughter?)
I'm glad that things are slowly changing in the legal system to ake such miscarriages of justice rarer, but sadly, it's far too late for Sally Clark. I hope she's at peace now. But what an awful blow for the family, who have already been through so much...