THE UK Government must radically improve support for the families of people who die overseas, an MP says.
Hannah Bardell is again pressing Westminster to stop “failing families” ahead of tonight’s broadcast of a documentary looking at the death of Kirsty Maxwell.
The 27-year-old, from Bardell’s Livingston constituency, fell to her death from a Benidorm hotel while on a friend’s hen do last summer.
The circumstances behind her death are yet to be determined.
She left her room after returning from a night out with friends and entered another occupied by five British men before falling from their balcony.
The men deny any responsibility for her death.
The case features in a programme set to air on BBC 1 tonight, as does that of Coatbridge man Craig Mallon, who died in Spain during his brother’s stag weekend in 2012.
The 26-year-old was killed by a single punch to the head and his assailant has not been identified.
The programme follows former detective David Swindle as he attempts to discover what happened to the Scots.
Bardell, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on deaths abroad and consular services, said the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) was “failing families” in such cases due to inadequate information and support.
She wants the UK Government to conduct an urgent review into the support it provides to bereaved relatives and improve the funding and resources made available in their search for answers, including through frontline consular support services.
The FCO provides supports including help with lawyers, interpreters, funeral services, advice on handling media attention.
However, Bardell says this is inadequate, stating: “Too often families searching for truth and justice are instead getting inadequate information and support from the UK Foreign Office, leading to additional stress and anxiety at what is already a deeply traumatic time.
“The tragic death of Kirsty Maxwell, who was killed in Benidorm last year, has shone a light on the unacceptable barriers that families are currently facing.
“Like the family of Julie Pearson, another constituent of mine who was killed abroad, Kirsty Maxwell’s family have been very badly let down. Families in a state of shock and grief often have to deal with multiple agencies, and fight to get even the most basic facts about the circumstances of their loved ones’ deaths.
“The UK Government must conduct an urgent review of the support it provides, and improve the funding and resources available.
“The evidence we have taken from bereaved families across the UK has shown that almost all felt there was very little support from the FCO and no clear processes or procedures.”
Bardell continued: “There are many ways in which support must improve, from introducing a single point of contact for families, to help with repatriation, translation services and legal representation.
“These families have been extremely brave in speaking out – their voices must now be heard, and the UK Government must take meaningful action to address the failings and gaps in support.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here