menu
General News

Family of Cherry Groce, shot and paralysed by police in 1985 denied legal aid

Besi Besemar March 22, 2014

 Cherry Groce was shot in her home by police in 1985 in front of her children.

Cherry Groce

The shooting sparked the Brixton riots and to this day no one has been held accountable for what happened to her.

Cherry Groce
Cherry Groce

Cherry was left paralysed from the waist down and despite being given a life expectancy of 10 years by her doctors, she managed to live for another 26 years.

Independent reports indicate that the events of 1985 were a significant contributory factor in her death in 2011.

An inquest into her death is finally being held in June 2014, but the family has been denied legal aid. Without it they can’t afford a lawyer to represent them at the inquest and cross examine the police.

Her son Lee, said: “Without legal aid we will be financially excluded from participating, which means we are not able to adequately and effectively take part in such a complex case and it is unfair to expect us to do so whilst the other three interested parties are being publicly funded!”

“Following the request of a revealing report we have received an apology from the police which comes 28 years after the shooting (and is still yet to be made in public).”

The family have set up a petition to Chris Grayling MP, the Secretary of State for Justice calling for them to be given legal aid.

To sign the petition, CLICK HERE:

X