Terror survivors ‘are taking their own lives’

A terror victim who attended a commemoration event for the 1996 London Docklands bombing says many survivors are now in care homes as a result and some have taken their own lives as they desperately wait for government help.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Feb 2019, 13:52 BST
Updated 12th Feb 2019, 15:33 BST
Jonathan Ganesh, Ihsan Bashir, Aazim Ihsan and Hannan Ihsan at the memorial plaque to Inam Bashir and John Jeffries, who were killed in the IRA Docklands bombing on 9 February 1996.Jonathan Ganesh, Ihsan Bashir, Aazim Ihsan and Hannan Ihsan at the memorial plaque to Inam Bashir and John Jeffries, who were killed in the IRA Docklands bombing on 9 February 1996.
Jonathan Ganesh, Ihsan Bashir, Aazim Ihsan and Hannan Ihsan at the memorial plaque to Inam Bashir and John Jeffries, who were killed in the IRA Docklands bombing on 9 February 1996.

The IRA bomb in the Docklands area of London on February 9 1996 killed Inam Bashir and John Jeffries and seriously injured 42 others.

Survivors attended the 23rd commemoration event on Saturday where they laid flowers at the memorial plaque at South Quay Station.

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Ihsan Bashir, whose brother Inam was killed, said he draws great comfort from community support. “I’m so touched by my community who have never forgotten my brother Inam and John,” he said afterwards.

President of the Docklands Victims Association, Jonathan Ganesh, still suffers serious injuries from the bombing. “I felt very saddened today as a number of the victims such as Mrs Hamida Bashir, Maurice Healy, Gemma Berezag and Zaoui Berezag have since passed away,” he said.

But Susanne Dodd, whose father Metropolitan Police Inspector Stephan Dodd was killed in the IRA Harrods bomb in 1983, and who also attended, went further.

Speaking about the tonnes of Semtex explosive given to the IRA by Col Gaddafi, she said: “So many victims are now in care homes and some have taken their lives in desperation waiting for adequate compensation from Libya.

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“US, French and German victims of Gaddafi-sponsored terrorism were compensated years ago. The lack of UK government support has demeaned, demoralised and disgraced victims in the UK.”

Joe Holbeach, who was seriously injured in the 1987 Poppy Day bombing, said the victims have been “treated like rubbish” by the government. “We are still awaiting compensation that would enable us to get private medical care,” he said. “I desperately need a hip operation and I’m still waiting.”