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No Prosecution Shocks Paddington Families- 09/05/00 Evening Standard
Relatives of the victims of the Paddington rail disaster expressed shock and outrage today that no person or company, will face a manslaughter charge. Brigit Anderson, whose daughter Charlotte, 32, was killed in the tragedy, learned of today's decision only hours after flying into London from Washington to attend the crash inquiry opening tomorrow.
Mrs Anderson said: I am appalled. I cannot believe that they have made this decision just before Lord Cullen is due to hold his public inquiry. What is the point of his investigations if the decision has now been made. The Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction of an individual or a company. The decision related to the possibility of bringing a charge of manslaughter or a endangering the safety of rail users and followed an investigation and evidence submitted by the British Transport Police.
Charlotte Anderson a product manager for ICI at Slough, had almost completed a three-year secondment in the UK and was only three weeks from returning to the US when she died. She was a passenger on the Thames turbo train found to be the primary cause of last October's disaster, in which 31 were killed and hundreds were injured, when driver Michael Hodder passed signal 100 at red. He then continued for 700 metres and into the path of a Great Western express heading into London at 70mph.
Des Collins of Collins Solicitors, representing 78 of those involved or relatives said 'They will be disappointed there will be no prosecution. He believed it was a deliberate decision taken just before the start of the inquiry to ensure there was no Sword of Damocles hanging over those involved. There may however be prosecutions of a more minor nature. A Health and Safety Executive investigation could result in the prosecution of rail companies on safety matters. |
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