'Focus on the victim', urges daughter of MP who died in a terror attack

1 December 2019, 09:40

The caller has urged people to try and think about Jack Merritt, the victim of the London Bridge terror attack, instead of actively seeking revenge.

Jo, the caller, told Andrew Castle about her own experiences of being affected by terrorism.

She said that her father was a Tory MP killed by the IRA in Brighton.

She said: "I've wanted to use that experience to look at how we can bring something positive and not go for revenge.

"I think, right now, a lot of people will be feeling anger and wanting to do something and wanting to hit back and you've talked about it. And that's part of human response.

"I think if we do follow that anger and that need for revenge and want to demonise that only hurts us.

"It's the time to breathe together and to really understand who Jack was.

"He's the important person here. He was the most exceptional young man and I know people who know him.

And his father says, you know, he would not wish his death to be used as a pretext for more draconian sentences."

She added: "I think it is really difficult to move beyond anger and I think when we're really angry, then we have to think what is it I need right now? You know it someone you can speak to?"

She called on people to express their anger without "hurting other people".

She then said: "In this instance, we need to make it safer for people to go about their business in our country. You know, we actually also need to get a lot more support for mental health for people who have been affected by terrorism."

Jo said: "But what we do know is how can we stop going for revenge, how can we stop demonising people? How can we stop hatred? How can we make the world safer? How can we give support for those who've been affected?"