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Today in Focus

Revisited: The mother who forgave her daughters’ killer – but not the police

Today in Focus

The Guardian

News, Daily News

4.65.9K Ratings

🗓️ 30 December 2024

⏱️ 38 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mina Smallman’s world fell apart after the murder of her two daughters. Then came a shocking revelation about the police’s behaviour. She explains how she found the strength to fight back. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is The Guardian.

0:07.3

Hi, it's Helen here.

0:09.2

And over our Christmas break, we are revisiting some of our favourite episodes,

0:13.2

particularly the ones that celebrate the people who have inspired us.

0:16.9

And that means that today we are bringing you the story of Mina Smallman,

0:21.2

an incredible woman who has courageously pursued justice

0:24.1

following the tragic murder of her two daughters, Bieber and Nicole.

0:28.8

Speaking to Mina was a really special experience for me

0:31.6

and I really hope that her story and her approach to life inspires you too.

0:48.8

Before we start, a quick warning, this episode contains references to violence, abuse and suicide.

1:01.0

Minas Mormon has been many things in life. A teenage mother, a mature student, a gifted teacher, a trailblazing church leader. But standing outside the old Bailey in London a few years ago, with a wall of cameras trained on her, she became an activist.

1:09.0

We know about your dirty linen

1:11.3

and it only protects the bad people,

1:15.4

expose them, deal with them, charge them,

1:19.2

get them out of the police force.

1:23.0

In June 2020, Mina's world fell apart.

1:27.1

Her eldest and youngest daughters had been found dead in a London park.

1:31.8

Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, they did.

1:36.5

You know, you go to London to start to prepare the funeral of your dead children

1:43.6

and then you're forced to have a meeting

1:46.4

to tell you that police officers

1:49.8

that should have been protecting the area

...

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