Annie Lennox joins mother's fight for justice

11/09/2009

Star backs camapign to change law over fatal accident investigations

A greiving mother taking her fight for justice to the Scottish Parliament has won the support of crusading singer Annie Lennox.

Julie Love lost her son Colin earlier this year, when the 23-year-old drowned while swimming on holiday at a resort off the coast of

Venezuela

. Family and friends say holidaymakers on the cruise to MargaritaIsland were given no warnings about the powerful rip tides by tour operators or beach authorities.

But unlike English law, the Scottish procurator fiscal has no power to hold a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into suspicious deaths occurring abroad – an inconsistency the Love family is campaigning to change.

Mrs Love, from Glasgow, says she was told by the Venezuelan authorities: "Bury your son in

England

and you will get a full investigation". She is delighted that Colin’s idol Annie Lennox has backed a petition set to go before MSPs next month.

“It’s fantastic because she was my son’s hero; he absolutely loved Annie Lennox from a very young age,” said the 41-year-old, who revealed ‘Sweet Dreams’ had been played at Colin’s funeral. “I got in touch with her agent saying I had read an article in the Big Issue about her work on Aids prevention, and I thought what she was doing was amazing. Another agent got in touch to offer her support to the campaign.”

A statement on the Scottish star’s website reads: “I can think of absolutely no reason why anyone would not be in full support of a petition to the Scottish Parliament, and my name will be on the list. I wish Dr Faulds and Colin's mother, Julie Love, every success with the campaign.”

Colin’s friend Dr Kenneth Faulds is the leading the legal battle to change the FAI system north of the border. Dr Faulds, 23, hopes an investigation would, at the very least, have productive recommendations for travel operators.

“It's absolutely amazing that this is the state of the law in

Scotland

,” he said. “We want answers to why the cruise line allowed people to swim in those waters but the Crown Office cannot investigate."

Mrs Love added: “There seems to have been no safety flags, no warnings whatsoever. We’re getting nothing from the Venezuelan authorities – shunted from pillar to post. But I’m only a mum – I’m not equipped to change laws or investigate things in other countries.

“We just want the same powers for

Scotland

as the English authorities have. It’s not going to change anything for me, but the recommendations from an inquiry can make a difference to other people. I wouldn’t want any other family to go through this.”

The UK Government is currently passing legislation that will come into effect at the end of the year allowing the Scottish Crown Office to investigate deaths of Scottish service personnel in operations overseas. Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill announced a review of all aspects of FAI hearings last year, and campaigners hope the scope can be altered to include all Scots abroad.

The petition has been formally lodged with the Scottish Parliament and closes on the 25^th September. The family will go before the Petitions Committee at Holyrood on October 6^th.

For more information on the campaign see www.colinlove.net