Pauline Campbell has been found dead
I have just received the utterly sad news that Pauline Campbell has been found dead by her daughter’s grave. I don’t know much else but having known her and what she stood for I am in very deep shock.
I will write more when I know. I will miss her very much. She was such a brave and determined woman who stood up for the powerless.
Guardian’s obituary for Pauline.
Julie Bindel article
Simon Hattenstone’s interview with Pauline
My own tribute to Pauline here
Ar deis Dé go raibh a hanam.
Comment by Dustin the Turkey — 15 May, 2008 @ 3:13 pm
I posted earlier on the last thread about Pauline. Her closest friend Jane called me first thing to let me know before it hit the press. Pauline was a dear and valued friend and I feel totally numb right now.
Police are not yet releasing further details though her close friends and supporters are aware of the circumstances. Suffice to say Pauline was found close to Sarah’s grave.
I speak as a firm supporter of Pauline’s campaign but also as a friend when I say how much she will be missed. If it wasn’t for her many women would have died silently in prison without their names ever being heard again. Pauline was the most remarkable woman I have ever had the privilege to know and she will be missed by the many friends and supporters whose lives she touched.
The phone call I received early this morning telling me this news has left me in a deep sense of shock. I hold tight to the thought that Pauline wanted to be with Sarah and at last she is at peace.
Comment by Dr. Emilia di Girolamo — 15 May, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
Thanks Emilia, I too am in a bit of shock and numb as I got to know Pauline in the last couple of mths and she was such a brave woman and I really admired her spirit and tenacity. I will miss her.
Comment by Louise — 15 May, 2008 @ 4:02 pm
BBC coverage
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7402792.stm
A very sad day.
Comment by Prinkipo Exile — 15 May, 2008 @ 4:05 pm
Even though I never met her, I admired her from what i read.
Dealing with the grief of losing a child must be an unimaginable weight to bear. What a tragedy.
Comment by Andy Newman — 15 May, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
A sad moment - I did not know Pauline but through your posts Louise and reading about her campaigning I know a very brave and courageous woman will be sadly missed.
We must continue the campaign for social justice in her honour.
Comment by Pete Brown — 15 May, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
This is terrible news… the vindication that Pauline got when the Home Office accepted Liability for Sarah’s death and when the CPS withdrew it’s case against her for organising protests was not enough to keep her in this world.
Preventable tradegies happen in a world which puts private profit before human need. Pauline fought for truth and justice but the lies and injustice of the system took its toll… I hope and pray she is at peace…and that her martyrdom is not vain.
Comment by mark anthony france — 15 May, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
Well, thanks to folk like Louise, and blogs like this one, Pauline’s heroic effort will not be in vain. Thankfully, the world still produces the likes of Pauline Campbell. Her departure is entirely comprehensible though heartbreakingly sad. How she fought for so long is the marvel and inspiration to the rest of us.
Comment by Anonymous — 15 May, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
Very sad and I’d just echo all those who have said that we can honour her and her bravery in this fight by continuing the fight for justice, against all oppression.
Comment by Jason — 15 May, 2008 @ 5:06 pm
The news of Paulines death has come as a great shock and she will be missed. I was lucky to have known her and helped support as many of the demos as I could get to. I’ve written here before about the terrible way Pauline was treated both outside the prison gates and inside the court house. After seeing Pauline outside the courts, when she was acquited last September, and seeing how much stress the case had brought on her i only hope the CPS are now feeling ashamed that they decided to put her through it all again, even though they dropped the charge Pauline described
A couple of No More Prison campaigners recently held a demo outside the inquest for Vicky Robinson and Pauline was first person to call me and ask how things went and to give advice about any future events.
The best thing we could do now is carry on what Pauline started. the next death in prison should be met with the biggest demo we can muster.
Comment by John Mcfeely — 15 May, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
Whoops!Sorry about this but I pressed the submit button before I’d finished. I meant to say: Pauline described the on going court case, just a few weeks ago, as like being run over by a juggernaught.
Comment by John Mcfeely — 15 May, 2008 @ 5:30 pm
Awfully sorry to hear that, a genuine tragedy all round, Pauline should posthumously be made ‘woman of the year’ her work must continue
Comment by frenetic — 15 May, 2008 @ 7:50 pm
Not the time now, but after the grieving is over, the left has to question why overall it gave so little support to Pauline, why some issues have privilege, others don’t
‘The best thing we could do now is carry on what Pauline started. the next death in prison should be met with the biggest demo we can muster.
Comment by frenetic — 15 May, 2008 @ 7:53 pm
I met Pauline Campbell during the activism outside the Labour
Party conference in 2005 in Manchester. Pauline made her
presence felt in a meeting at which Vera Baird MP was trying to
defend the cut backs and erosion in public legal funding. I was very very sad to hear of her death. The standing with, and up for, those
demonised by the state is a noble tradition of the Left. May
Pauline rest ever in peace.
Comment by John — 16 May, 2008 @ 10:37 am
sad sad news i found out yesterday and rushed to whitchurch to find some one how could confurm it i cant stop crying im making lots of calls and continueing with the protests another woman has did at style
Comment by joel york paulines friend — 16 May, 2008 @ 3:44 pm
pauline was an inspiration dto us all she fought with such bravery and
challenged a cowardly system made up of gutless people to take a good look
at itself Pauline Campbell will never ever be forgot for what she has done
for the women of britain and the fight for justice and democracy.
Comment by janet alder (justice for Christopher Alder campaign — 16 May, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Its a chilling thought that the scumbag ‘anon’ claims to be working to help people who ’self-harm’. more likely though they’re a bnp member trolling or some other HP style dreck.
Comment by johng — 16 May, 2008 @ 7:22 pm
I deleted that comment by “anon” as it was utterly nasty esp. in the circumstances. Have they no compassion. It was shocking to read.
And yes, it is a chilling thought that they claim to work with people who self-harm.
Comment by Louise — 17 May, 2008 @ 8:55 am
I only met Pauline once when she spoke at one of our events. We spoke very briefly and in that time I could feel the double torment and power of this remarkable woman.
She really wore her loss on her face even through all that grit, determination and humour.
We have set up a memorial blog in her honour. See it here: http://remember-pauline.blogspot.com/
Rest in peace dear sister!
Comment by Zana Eka-Naphtali — 18 May, 2008 @ 12:27 am
It hurts to lose Pauline. Rather than miss her voice, we should still hear her voice and listen hard to it. Listen hard, and heed it.
Comment by Rosalind Burbank Joseph — 18 May, 2008 @ 1:16 am
I became friends with pauline after my daughter died in prison, 1 month after sarah. Neither of us knew what to expect and we supported each other. I supported pauine in many of her campaigns especially the press, only last week she asked me if i would speak to the news of the world for an article on womens deaths in prison, which I did. The world will be a poorer place without pauline, I admired her for all the work she did for others, so they wouldnt have to go through what we did. I hope pauline has found peace. from pauline hart (mother of jennifer clifford )
Comment by pauline hart — 18 May, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
Im the cousin of the late jaime Pearce,
I was just looking on the Internet to see if i could find any information about this tragic
incedent. I was shocked to see that pauline had passed, i never met her but admire her greatly
for the work she done. I would just like to thank her for everything she tried to achieve regarding my dearly missed cousin and all the other girls lost while in custody in our prisons
s. What a great women! Thankyou. x x x
Comment by Sonny Pearce — 17 April, 2009 @ 4:42 pm