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Even the most stubborn naysayer cannot deny the obvious reality. Lizzie, a vulnerable and impressionable young person diagnosed with FASD, was taken in a sinister snatch-and-grab just one day after turning eighteen. By removing her phone, blocking her contacts, and relentlessly seeding a fear narrative, Lizzie has been systematically cut off from all who truly love her.

The longer this ordeal drags on, the more obvious it becomes that what we said from the beginning is true: what happened to Lizzie was pre-planned, involved suggestion and subtle grooming, and was an intentional act of predatory removal, followed by coercion and exploitation.

Lizzie, our precious daughter, was, to all intents and purposes, abducted.

The ongoing and unresolved nature of this situation, nearly two years after the fateful day, starkly demonstrates the statutory agencies’ deliberate refusal to intervene to protect a vulnerable young person or uphold the law. This is precisely why, in response to Melanie Onn MP’s dismissive question, “Surely you are not suggesting that Focus, the police and Linkage College have all failed in their duty of care?” my unequivocal response was “Yes!”

If this happened to Lizzie, to us, and to at least two other vulnerable young females from our village, it can and will happen to others. Enough – I cannot simply accept such blatant injustice and broken systems. The authorities have tolerated and even supported such morally-repugnant behaviour; I cannot and will not accept it – not for us, not for Lizzie, not for anyone.

I am deeply grateful for all those angels (of whatever gender) who have recognised the truth and stood with us.

Promotion and Publicity:

I started the podcast because I knew this story had to be told. I was appalled by the agencies’ callousness, their determination to obstruct justice, their refusal to consider evidence of coercive control and their inhumanity towards Jane and me. Such a response surely amounts, at best, to ineptitude. I knew I had to warn others. The time has come to create a campaign for change. I’ve engaged with a creative agency and PR company, and I’ve had very positive initial discussions with them.

This is about much more than just Lizzie for me now. I miss her immensely, of course; her continued absence breaks my heart and causes me to wake up in anguish in the middle of the night, feeling a stabbing sense of loss and bewilderment at the response of those meant to protect people like Lizzie.

Nonetheless, the sheer obstinacy of the police and Adult Social Care has fueled my determination to push for systemic change. I don’t yet know what that movement may look like, and I welcome creative ideas. It will be a continuation of what I have already begun: telling the story honestly, with as much openness and transparency as possible. Yes, there has been a significant shift in my mental and emotional state, as I have abandoned any last vestige of hope in the statutory agencies and political processes.

Linkage College:

In safeguarding terms, if a situation poses a serious risk to others, those who recognise the danger have a duty to escalate it. Ignoring a situation likely to cause harm would be a failure of responsibility. The person who sees the risk and does nothing is culpable when others are harmed.

Linkage, through their actions and inaction, essentially handed Lizzie over to Coral. Given their total lack of contrition so far, I can only conclude they would repeat this pattern for any other vulnerable young person on the cusp of turning eighteen.

I fully intended reporting them to the Charity Commission, and that may still happen. Meanwhile, they have escalated the matter internally to an appeal, where one of the Directors will review the evidence identified so far. This will be their last chance to address the issues and repair the damage they’ve caused. Lewis had boasted, “When Lizzie turns eighteen, I’m taking her to live with me, and she’ll never see her family again.” Two weeks later, Linkage was helping him carry out that plan. Linkage knows I have paused the escalation pending the appeal’s outcome. The clock is ticking.

Legal support:

I’m sure some will be breathing a sigh of relief to know that I have accepted the need to have the legal support of a solicitor. I won’t say which firm, though it’s not a Grimsby company. The associate who has been given our case is an experienced legal representative who specialises in health and welfare cases in the Court of Protection. The firm was recommended by an angel as having particular expertise in cases regarding vulnerable individuals. Early days yet; they have a specific remit to begin with, and we’ll take it from there. There is only so far you can get without legal clout behind you, I now accept. I have learned over the past twenty-two months that there are human beings with soul and compassion … and there are institutional zombies who have lost all memory of empathy.

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Thank you for reading. If you have any insights, comments or advice, please feel free to add them below.