GORDON BROWN SHUNS BEREAVED VICTIMS FAMILIES

It seems somewhat of a contradiction that the Government plough so much funding into committees to encourage a "Victim Focused" strategy of policing, yet fail to deliver when it comes to supporting the tragic real victims, the families that experience bereavement through criminal acts. This includes families of police officers.

The work of the National Victims Association has been repeatedly spurned by Gordon Brown and his Government that are only too ready to pose for photographs and strike scandalous deals with Mr Gadaffi and his Libyan terrorist regime.

THE NVA

The National Victims Association provide a comprehensive advocacy, advice, counselling and support service to families bereaved through murder or manslaughter, and are widely regarded by many Government Ministers, statutory agencies, Police forces and Churches as the leading Charity specialising in this field of work. Their website provides details of their ground-breaking work, campaigns on behalf of bereaved families and the fight to obtain core funding from the Government.

BROKEN PROMISES FROM THE GOVERNMENT . . .
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker MP made public promises to murder victims' families which were subsequently broken. He assured his audience that he would both fund and attend a conference in 2009, then refused to do either.

After numerous complaints about him breaking his promises, Mr Coaker wrote to David Hines of NVA, astonishingly claiming an entirely different interpretation to that of the 100+ bereaved families present. His letter and the reply of David Hines are available and we invite anyone interested to draw their own conclusions.

The next day, following a letter to Mr Coaker from Tim Boswell MP in which Mr Coaker was asked about not delivering on his conference pledges, Mr Coaker wrote to Mr Boswell. His letter was utterly and knowingly untruthful, claiming as it did that the Government had provided substantial sums of money to fund NVA’s core activities. The truth is that since 1992, NVA has received not one penny in core funding from any Government.

What Gordon Brown says...
“Every child is precious and irreplaceable and the death of a child is an unbearable sorrow that no parent should ever have to endure.”
House of Commons, 25th Feb 2009

What Gordon Brown does...
The Prime Minister has, for over a year, resolutely refused to acknowledge multiple requests to meet several NVA parents bereaved through murder. In May 2008 and on behalf of the families of 38 homicide victims - including one triple murder and two serving police officers - NVA wrote to Prime Minister Gordon Brown requesting a meeting to discuss their plight. He refused. Read the National Victims Association first letter to Mr Brown here.

Government Funding : The Truth

Because of the Government’s consistent refusal to tell the truth about NVA funding, the charity have now published a letter sent to Justice Minister Maria Eagle MP in April 2009. We also detail below, every payment ever received from the Government.

Core Funding - Amounts Received

1999 : Nil
2000 : Nil
2001 : Nil
2002 : Nil
2003 : Nil
2004 : Nil
2005 : Nil
2006 : Nil
2007 : Nil
2008 : Nil
2009 : Nil

Conference Funding : Amounts Received

1999 : Nil
2000 : Nil
2001 : Nil
2002 : Nil
2003 : Nil
2004 : Nil
2005 : Nil
2006 : Nil
2007 : Received £10,000 (50% of total costs)
2008 : Received £10,000 (50% of total costs)
2009 : Cancelled due to lack of funding

Project Funding : Amounts Received

2007 Project Costs £48,000, Received £25,000, Shortfall £23,000
2009 Project Costs £48,725, Received £30,985, Shortfall £17,740
2009/10 Project Costs £73,000

Yet another example of this Governments true motivation.

This is political spin at it most abhorrent, where tragic families most in need of compassion and support are denied assistance, where justice for murdered police officers is traded for commercial gain, and where the words "Victim Focus" only count for something if they can be used to political advantage.

Shame on you Mr Brown.