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World News

'I forgive my daughters' killer, but not police officers who violated them further', says Anglican priest

by Donna Birrell

A retired Anglican priest says she forgives the man who murdered her two daughters, but not two police officers who took photos of their bodies as they were guarding the crime scene.

Nicole Smallman who was 27 and 46-year-old Bibaa Henry were murdered by Danyal Hussein in June 2020. They'd been stabbed multiple times while at a park in Brent in North London.

PCs Jamie Lewis and Deniz Jaffer were each jailed for 33 months for taking photographs of the bodies and describing them in derogatory language. 

Mina Smallman, who served as Archdeacon of Southend from 2013 until her retirement in 2016, told the BBC:

"Obviously what they did wasn't as bad as murdering, but you're telling me you have violated our girls further?

"Because of that, them I haven't forgiven."

Ms Smallman said she had also attempted suicide after the two men were released from prison.

She is now a campaigner for women's safety, warning about the dangers of the radicalisation of young men online. She's also working with the Met Police to "ensure that we have the police force that we deserve".

While not forgiving the two police officers, Ms Smallman told how she suddenly felt she could forgive her daughters' murderer while seeing him in the courtroom. She's previously said:

“When we hold hatred for someone, it’s not only them who is held captive, it’s you, because your thoughts become consumed by revenge. I refuse to give him that power. He is a nonentity to me.”

In 2021 Hussein was sentenced at The Old Bailey to two concurrent 35-year sentences for the murders of Bibaa and Nicole.

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