Woman Whose Mum Was Murdered Tells James O'Brien Why She's Against The Death Penalty

11 October 2019, 14:39

This is a remarkable call - a woman whose mother was murdered told James O'Brien why she is against the death penalty for anyone.

James was discussing the US trial of the Isis Beatles, in which they could be given the death penalty.

Charlotte called in and made an incredibly powerful point - and from a personal position that very few people could come from.

Speaking to LBC, she said: "I'm really against the death penalty. And I feel I'm particularly qualified to talk about it because my Mum was murdered in March 2004. The man that did it was released last September.

"I felt it was really unfair because he gets to start again and my Mum never did.

"But then I thought about if he was my child - because I have a son - and people do do these things and people can be really sorry. And people can actually learn from what they've done.

"When I switch it round like that, I feel that everybody deserves an opportunity to repent.

"Prison should be about rehabilitation. All anyone ever talks about is punishment, but that's why we have so many reoffenders, because all we ever seem to do is punish. We don't ever try to make them better people."

Referring specifically to Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, two of the four Brits who fled to Syria known as "The Beatles", she added: "Don't you think that they may be mentally ill, that hey have been completely brainwashed, rather than thinking they are intrinsically evil?"

It's a very powerful statement - watch her call in full at the top of the page.