55. Lisa Squire on Libby, loss and legacy

This is one of the most difficult crisis conversations we've had to date and some will find this episode distressing. It’s a discussion about unimaginable trauma - the loss of a child in the most horrendous circumstances. Our guest is Lisa Squire, mother of Libby, a 21-year-old student who disappeared after a night out in Hull with university friends in January 2019. 48 days later Libby’s body was discovered in the Humber Estuary. She had been raped and murdered by Polish 24year old Pawel Relowicz.
The terrifying initial uncertainty of Libby’s abduction, the horror when her death was discovered and the pain of a court case that ultimately offered only some degree of closure, make this a crisis like few others. Lisa, as you will hear, has taken these experiences and is now putting them to work in her own unique way, on behalf of others and, of course, Libby.
Relowicz had committed a number of non-contact sexual offences against other women in Hull before he abducted Libby. Lisa is now campaigning for those types of crime to be taken more seriously, to encourage victims to report them, but also for sentencing levels to be raised. She is also campaigning for mandatory life sentences for those convicted of rape and murder.
My thanks to Lisa who felt strongly that this episode should be heard. First and foremost to raise her campaigning issues in Libby’s name. But also to offer perspective and lessons to those facing grief or other challenges.

Full episode transcript available on our website.

Lisa's Crisis Cures:
1. Talking – Whether that's to my husband, the children, my friends, my mum and dad, or Libby. You have to get it out.
2. Writing – I write things down when they come to me, that lessens it because you can see it in black and white.
3. Work out what you can and can’t manage that day – break it down into little bits, because the mountain is huge. I take it in five-minute blocks.

Get involved:
We’ll keep you updated on the Libby’s Legacy campaign on our social media channels. In the meantime, if you take anything away from our conversation today let it be the following:
1. Report. Report. Report. Take non-contact sexual offences seriously.
2. If your friend can’t get into a nightclub there’ll be another opportunity. Don’t leave your friends.
3. If you see somebody, like Libby, and you feel it in your gut that something doesn’t seem right, pick the phone up and call the police, call an ambulance.
4. Don’t let the conversation end here.

Links:
The Compassionate Friends - https://www.tcf.org.uk/
Police launch campaign with Libby Squire's family urging people to report low-level sex offences - https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/police-launch-campaign-libby-squires-7810156
You can watch Libby, Are You Home Yet? On Sky Crime or online at - https://www.nowtv.com/watch/libby-are-you-home-yet/iYEQYZaTURDhxvGMpm3auU/iYsxVNCF7Je7re1w9JukrJ/seasons/1

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Host – Andy Coulson
CWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs and Jane Sankey
With special thanks to Global