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Labour ‘failed to care’ for UK terror victims
Neil Millard11.05.09
The father of a film-maker paralysed in the Mumbai terror attacks today accused the Government of “outrageous” moral failure after it abandoned his son.
Will Pike lost the use of his legs as he tried to escape the Taj Mahal hotel with his girlfriend when gunmen stormed the city last November. At least 186 people were killed and more than 250 injured.
He faces a lifetime in a wheelchair after falling from the window of the five-star hotel and badly damaging his spine but has been offered just £15,000 from the Red Cross. The Government has made not shown “any sign of caring”, he said.
Today Nigel Pike, Will's father, launched a campaign to demand better treatment for Britons who are injured abroad. The Government's Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme only offers a “substantial settlement” to people injured on UK soil. If Will had been injured in a traffic accident he would be in line for a payment of up to £5m.
Mr Pike, from Haringey, said: “It's absolutely outrageous that the UK Government does not cover UK victims of terror abroad.
“We had meetings with two solicitors firms and they said I'm sorry, you don't have a legal case with anybody and there's nothing for you'.
“That was very sobering and quite distressing and I realised I would have to address this.
“In the past Tessa Jowell has admitted it is an anomaly that needs sorting out.”
The nightmare for Will, 29, began at the end of a holiday in Goa with his girlfriend Kelly Doyle.
On the night of 26 November they heard gunshots from the hotel atrium and saw gunsmoke outside. Trapped and terrified, Will rang his father, Nigel, in London. “I could hardly hear him because he was whispering,” Nigel said. “I could just make out him saying, Dad, I'm terrified! There's shooting going on outside.'”
They made an impromptu rope out of sheets, curtains and towels and Will volunteered to go ahead to make sure it was safe, but the knots did not hold.
Will said: “I don't remember landing. I just have some hazy recollection of seeing a bone sticking out of my left wrist.”
The couple spent a traumatic week in hospital in Mumbai before being flown back to London where Will was forced to wait nine hours for a bed at University College Hospital.
On 28 January, he was finally transferred to the spinal injuries unit at Stanmore hospital where a specialist told him he would not walk again.
Will said he tries to stay strong but cannot help feeling bitter – “and astonished, really” – at the litany of official neglect since his return home.
“I remember waking up every day at UCH thinking: OK, someone will probably get in contact with us today.' I remember even thinking I might get a call from Gordon Brown! I thought, this isn't some everyday occurrence, you know. There were, thankfully, very few Britons in the attack who sustained such serious injury. I remember thinking it wouldn't be too much to ask for the leader of the country to show a sign of condolence – a sign of caring.”
Mr Pike said he hopes the small numbers of people who would benefit from his proposed extension of the scheme justifies the change.
“There were only seven of eight UK victims of the Mumbai attacks and Will was the worst injured of all of them. It's not a huge number of people and it's not going to break the bank. And it goes back to the Bali victims and their families - we want change.”
The Ministry of Justice said in a statement that Justice Secretary Jack Straw “will continue to work tirelessly to find further ways of supporting the victims of all crimes”.
It added: “He has set up a working group to look at the issue of improved support for victims of terrorism abroad in particular.”
Reader views (9)
Michael I suggest you read your Travel Insurance wording VERY closely before you pop over to Kabul, Agfanistan for that wedding party mate. A lot exclude Terrorism - so will be as much use as a chocolate teapot. There are specialist insurers who will cover you but it's individually rated, priced accordingly and is pricey. Correspondents like 'Jeremy Al-Bowen' pay shed loads for travel insurance.
- Ethan, UK
Anyone remember the Afgan Stanstead Hijackers - currently living (along with families) in £300k houses in west London paid by the UK tax payer?
- Sandy, London
Isn't this what travel insurance is for? Governments and taxpayers are not there to pick up the pieces after every misfortune suffered anywhere in the world. Personal responsibility...let's have more of it.
- Michael, London
Why is this the "governments" problem? I would love to blame them, but cant see how.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke
Labour is more interested in caring for the terrorists.
- Steve, London
The man was staying in a five star hotel and is thus quite well heeled; nobody asked him to go to India. As such I see no reason for him to be compensated by the British taxpayer
- Watson, London UK
As sad as this is, it's not something we as a nation can begin to offer compensation on. It will just open the floodgates for all manners of compensation claims on injuries from abroad.
Shouldn't the father be pursuing compensation from his son's travel insurance company, did he have any kind of personal accident insurance?
- Scott, London
sorry and all that but this article shows just how stupid this world is becoming. its not for the goverments or the red cross to hand over money or care etc.if this guys father wants to have a go at anybody and wants care and money from them.pop across to pakistan and iran.the baddies are in pakistan financed by some countrys. iran being the most heavily involved. china is supplying weapons
afgan drug lords some money and weapons,corrupt afgan officials and pakistan military. so i suggest he does what i suggest. but he wont. hes scared. no hes a coward.
- Mikeee, peterborough uk
If you look at how the Government treats its own soldiers, maimed in action it sent them to, it's hardly surprising that they do nothing for this poor guy either. Just as disgraceful was the 9hr wait for the bed: the UK was the world's fourth largest economy for a long time, and that's the best it can do? What exactly was all the money spent on?
We have to ask whether, if a Government Minister was injured in a terrorist attack abroad, they would receive the same treatment.
- Roz, France
