Esther Ghey, the mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, recently met with Emma Jenkinson, the mother of one of her daughter's killers, five weeks after the sentencing for murder.
Ghey said she felt a "connection" to Scarlett Jenkinson's mother, Emma, who had shown "a great deal of bravery". She also expressed how she does not blame her for the murder of her child.
During the private encounter, organised by mutual contacts, both mothers shared the sentiment of navigating an unimaginable ordeal and the profound challenges they faced.
In a statement, Ghey noted that "Scarlett's family's lives have been changed forever too" and said: "It was a positive and respectful meeting which allowed us to initially get to know each other
"I didn't feel any anger or resentment towards Scarlett's mum, in fact it showed that tragedies have far reaching ripples.
"It has been a tough year, but I have been maintaining my mindfulness which I believe has helped with resilience, compassion and empathy.
"Meeting Scarlett's mum has reminded me how important that is to me."
The perpetrators, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 15 years old at the time, were convicted of the "brutal, planned and sadistic" murder of 16-year-old Brianna in February 2023.
John Cooper is the director of the Christian-based Fellowship of Reconciliation.
In an interview with Premier he said he feels that we can all learn a lot from this story: “reconciliation is a painful and difficult process. It involves everyone being open and honest…and being prepared to listen” he said.
“The story of hope in this is that the mother of someone who committed a terrible act, who will still have to show love to that girl. Has met the person whose family they have hurt and that mother was willing to meet
“Reconciliation and forgiveness are all tied up, but the lasting reconciliation can only ever occur between people when people are ready for conversations to happen”.
Scarlett Jenkinson, was behind the plot to kill Brianna. She lured her into a park, where she stabbed Briana 28 times in the head, neck, chest and back with a hunting knife on 11 February last year.
In an interview with the BBC, Ghey said the meeting was "emotional", and said she had "wanted to understand her perspective".
"As a parent you never want to give up on your child - you will always have that maternal instinct, you'll want to support them, regardless," she said.
"What has happened has impacted their family massively, just the same as it has impacted mine," she said. "What they've gone through is terrible as well.
"They haven't only lost a child, but they've also got to live with what's happened for the rest of their lives."