The ... measure of a (wo)man is not where (s)he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where (s)he stands at times of challenge and controversy. MLK
You clearly don’t know what you are talking about
@littleblackdug
This is my daughter - died in custody, 2018, you might notice she is white.
@AamerAnwar
has been there day and night to support & represent us. He has NEVER questioned her colour. How dare you question him.
Christmas for us changed in 2018 after Katie’s death. Please remember there is a huge difference between not being able to see a loved one at Christmas due to restrictions and not being able to see a loved one because they are dead.
The happiest of memories. Paris for your 16th birthday. Today is your 24th birthday Katie. Wishing you the happiest day. Our hearts are broken 💔, you are so deeply missed and so deeply loved.
THREAD : On this day a year ago our daughter was taken from us. She did not die - that would happen 12 weeks later. Despite fully admitting her guilt; her impeccable record; the compassionate forgiveness of the Keenan family; a CJSW report recommending a non custodial sentence
1. Yesterday, on the last day of parliament, after 5pm, we received a copy of the ‘final progress’ report for the ‘Expert review of mental health’ at
@scottishprisons
Polmont, which was commissioned by
@HumzaYousaf
after Katie’s death. Not one recommendation has been achieved
Today I went to a supermarket and cut the grass. 3 years ago, I lay in a ball and cried. The pain was primal and physical. With therapy, EMDR and the love of family, friends, neighbours and complete strangers, I am living with the ebb and flow of grief. Katie would be proud. ❤️
Katie we do not know if you left us a year ago today or a year ago tomorrow. We only know you are gone and our hearts are broken. You are loved. You are missed every day. Rest well our beautiful girl. ❤️
Student nurse to Consultant nurse (with hon. professorship). I hope I’ve served people well. 37 yrs, now time for a rest.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou
1. When we met with
@HumzaYousaf
following Katie’s death, we asked him if ligature points could be removed from the prison estate. Given that 93% of suicides in prison custody are by the same means. We thought this was a reasonable request.
Happy 22nd birthday Katie. Our gift to you is our promise - to try and change the way so many young people are treated in prison. We love you and miss you every second of every day.
My beautiful lassie. Missing you so very much today. Baking without you is hard, but I know you wouldn’t want Christmas without gingerbread and mince pies. 💔
On a personal note
@HumzaYousaf
@ScotGovJustice
it’s probably best not to treat bereaved families in this way. We really should have received this months ago and had time to meet and discuss it with you.
1. Yesterday, on the last day of parliament, after 5pm, we received a copy of the ‘final progress’ report for the ‘Expert review of mental health’ at
@scottishprisons
Polmont, which was commissioned by
@HumzaYousaf
after Katie’s death. Not one recommendation has been achieved
We simply cannot allow the suffering that drove our daughter Katie to take her life to happen to any other person in prison. We are launching our campaign for justice & reform of our failing prison system tomorrow, this is Katie’s story👇🏽please support us❤️
This is and always will be our beautiful daughter Katie. We will reflect her love, compassion for others and deep desire to right injustice during 2019. Her legacy will be to shine a light on injustice and love our fellow (wo)man.
#KatieAllan
💔
#WilliamLindsay
💔
Two years ago today I saw Katie in life for the last time. She was broken and crushed by the
@scottishprisons
. Two years later and we too are are crushed by a system that does not deserve the name ‘justice’.
A year ago I went to identify my daughters body in a morgue.I wasn’t allowed to touch her,just look through a glass screen. The same day I gave a full statement to the police on my understanding of the events that led to Katie’s death. I have heard nothing since.
6 years ago today was the last time I hugged you. 6 years ago tomorrow the police came to our door to tell us you were dead. We still do not have justice Katie, but we are a little closer and the fire inside, that pushes us forward, remains bright. You will always be loved. ❤️
4 years ago the police came to our home to tell us that Katie was dead. That moment was the ❤️of my trauma (years of paralysing flashbacks) Today I am with my husband & son on holiday, Katie is with us, as she is every day.This is recovery, thanks to the wonderful
@DrRachelMAllan
Feeling a bit overwhelmed this evening - missing Katie, weary of covid, son self isolating, Stuart a wee bit poorly after his booster. So, I sat outside, closed my eyes, listened to the rain and was quiet. All will be well.
Wishing everyone a peaceful, healthy Christmas. Our heartfelt thanks for all the support over the past years. Christmas number 4 with an empty chair and a deep ache, but because of the loving kindness of many, we now know that joy can coexist with grief. Sending ❤️ and gratitude.
1. Today should have been Katie’s graduation. We will go to the
@UofGlasgow
and share in the celebrations with her wonderful friends and the amazing
@UofGGES
who have shown nothing but support and love to Katie and to us.
Whatever the results are, there is no doubt, we have an amazing young man as our son. He has had the hardest of years and faced unfathomable pain and yet he worked and studied hard for his Highers when he could. So very proud of him. His sister would be too. ❤️
One week before Christmas, I should be wrapping gifts for you Katie. Instead dad and I will attend court again for yet another preliminary hearing for your fatal accident inquiry. 💔
Today is my birthday. Last year Katie took me to a spa for a birthday treat. This year I am reviewing FAI determinations into prison suicides without her. Scotland, what are we doing to our young people? It’s got to change.
#katieallan
💔
‘The nature of humanity, its essence, is to feel another’s pain as one’s own and to act to take that pain away’ John Connolly (thank you
@DuncanWChisholm
)
#WorldSuicidePreventionDay
Katie you are missed every second of every day and loved the same ❤️
2. We have never read such a shoddy document. No outcome measurements, no plans for continued improvement, no reflection of evidence. It is very clear there is no strategic commitment to prevent young people taking their own lives in
@scottishprisons
3. Our initial reaction is to forget it and get on with our lives. We won’t, we can’t - 22 people have taken their own lives whilst government officials, cabinet secretaries, the SPS &
@NHSForthValley
fumbled about for 2+ years.
Christmas is hard, but going into a new year without Katie is always harder for us. 2022 will be the 4th year without Katie being here and another year of fighting for justice in her memory for her cruel and avoidable death. Happy New Year Katie 💔
Katie:
We remember & ❤️ you every day.
We will heal and fight and right the wrongs we can.
For today and for tomorrow we will be together and think of you. We will think of you laughter. 4 years without you.
Today is filled with mixed emotions. I am so very grateful to have my strong resilient son, but I miss my kindhearted, loving daughter and my own mum. Thinking of all the mums who grieve today, especially Christine Lindsay ❤️
Thank you for all the kind messages on my return to work. Day one was made so much easier by a thoughtful, compassionate team of people. Kind gestures such as a new mug, a chocolate biscuit and a welcoming smile. The world isn’t as broken as I thought it was.
As Christmas draws near, Stuart, Scott and I want to offer our heartfelt thanks to so many who have given us so much. It has been the darkest of times, yet we hold onto hope because of love and kindness we have been shown. We are deeply grateful. Nollaig Chridheil x
The second Christmas without you Katie. Dad, Scott, Dixie and I doing our best to get through your favourite holiday without you. Miss you every day, especially now. Nollaig chridheil mo nighean bhòidheach. ❤️
We try to heal by exposing the state sanctioned crimes that go unpunished. We try to heal by emanating Katie’s compassion to those who almost broke us. A year ago today our beautiful daughter was taken from us. She never came home. END.
Losing your child is one of the worst things that can happen. Losing your child to a preventable death is almost unbearable at times. Losing your child when they are in the care of the state is hard to forgive. It’s time that Scotland stopped state sanctioned deaths.
When you lose a child to suicide every fibre of you wants to over protect your other children, but you can’t. You have to let them live, to grow, to be strong, resilient & independent. I hope that is what I have done for our son as he flys the nest to begin his adult life.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” F.S. Fitzgerald
3 years Katie. Missed every minute of every day. Our hearts remain broken. Our fight goes on into another year. We work hard to forgive. 💔
Today is the 3rd anniversary of the death of
#KatieAllan
💔 still no justice, no answers & more excuses & delays from the L Advocate &
@scottishprisons
as her family campaign not just for Katie but many others who took their own lives💔
@Allan67Linda
I still find it hard to understand this cruelty. The needless death of Caroline Flack has so many echos. This is how
@ScottishSun
chose to report our daughters death. Katie was never sentenced with hit and run.
I’m exhausted but so very grateful to all friends, old and new who have supported us so much over the last few weeks. Tweets, texts, in person. We can never repay your kindness. Thank you. One week to go 🙏
Some days are just to painful in this journey called grief. Without warning I am slam dunked into sadness it causes physical pain. Coping with the every day cruelties of life becomes too much and the only choice is to retreat into self care. Missing you Katie. 💔
This year I have unshackled myself from the generational curse of Hogmanay exhaustion. I am not scrubbing, washing, dusting hoovering, cooking, baking, or ironing. I am working then relaxing. The freedom and peace that come from self care is worth so much more.
Today a man was sentenced for causing the death of 3 passengers. He received an 11 month custodial sentence & a 3 year ban from driving. On this day in 2017, our daughter, who killed no one received 16 months in custody and a 4 year ban. She will never come home 💔
Today concluded the evidence at the FAI for Katie & William, another heartbreaking & exhausting day. Submissions at the end of June and then we await the Sheriffs determination. It will be over a year since the FAI began and over 6 years since Katie’s death. How is this justice?
Just when you think you are ok and starting to heal, grief can hit you like a tsunami - no warning - a sledgehammer to the heart and all you can do is keep breathing. Miss you Katie 💔
Last week, I passed a cafe. Outside there were a few tables, one had two chairs, positioned against the cafe window. The last time I saw that table I was sitting in one of the chairs and Katie was sitting in the other. We were laughing. A few days ago, my 💔broke a little more.
I’ve been thinking a lot of all the people who played a part in Katie’s death. It’s strange how my anger has moved on to trying to understand and forgive each of them. Learning a small bit at a time that holding people to account doesn’t mean I can’t forgive.
A good friend to Katie Allan & to her parents in their darkest moments, the late
@stuartmacq
chaplain
@UofGlasgow
had his affidavit read out this week at the joint FAI this week- Despite his illness, he desperately wanted to be there to speak up for Katie, but he was heard 🙏❤️
Thank you so very much for the kindness and love. We are almost through another anniversary- a very sad and hard one. We are so very grateful to everyone ❤️
Second preliminary hearing for your FAI Katie. We took your memory with us and that of William. Many preparing to defend the indefensible. Condolences are never offered.
3rd of July 2018 should have been the day that Katie came home, but she never did. She had died
@scottishprisons
and we scattered her ashes on that day instead. Another date, every year, that we find hard.
Happy
#standrewsday
Katie. Never could I have imagined that 5 years on from this photograph that you would be dead and on a day that you loved, a report is published highlighting how you were failed by the
@scottishprisons
not only when you were alive, but also in death. 💔
Grief is relentless. Walked into a shop today that Katie loved, took my breath away. Turned around and left. Sometimes the answer is to simply retreat and hunker down 💔
We are heartbroken to hear of the Rev Stuart MacQuarrie’s passing. He stood beside us in our darkest days and taught us to laugh again and to forgive. Tonight we know he is with Katie reciting Psalm 95:7. Sending all our love to Stuart’s family and all who loved him.
Our daughter died. Almost 3 and a half years later and we are still expected to accept delays by the
@COPFS
and the
@nmcnews
and the silence of
@KeithBrownSNP
@NicolaSturgeon
Now and then it just seems too much. Now and then the cruelty becomes a heavy weight.