After over 20yrs of campaigning for Damien, Mrs Nettles felt compelled to do something that was going to be helpful to the missing issue in general.
Valerie Nettles wants a lasting legacy to Damien in the most meaningful way. Damien’s Law calls for new guidance to ensure more missing people are found alive.
Our aim is to improve existing guidelines and encourage cohesive collaborative & communication between all parties to preserve the life of the missing person.
Mistakes in the early days of a missing person's investigation impact the entire case. Too many long-term missing persons cases remain unsolved and over time become non-operational, compounding the agony of families suffering ambiguous loss. Such mishandling will result in more complaints being filed with Police Standards Departments (PSD) and Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Young men especially continue to go under the radar and are classed as ‘lads being lads’. Families must be taken more seriously and if they tell police it is out of character, this should be acted upon and taken into consideration. Gathering evidence remains erratic between forces and invaluable time is being lost to secure CCTV and critical evidence.
We need to make a joint effort to ensure no stone is unturned and every piece of the puzzle is explored. Education about the dangers of drinking & drug use, especially near water is imperative. Greater awareness of social media safety for families, digital footprint and responsible use of appeals for the wider public also needs addressing.
I, hereby, petition the Prime Minister, RT Hon Boris Johnson MP and Home Secretary, Rt Hon Priti Patel MP to acknowledge the distress and anguish suffered by families and the wider community when someone disappears. I ask that the following recommendations to be formally known as ‘Missing Persons Support bill’ to be adopted:
My situation is not unique. I am a Community Ambassador for Missing People retaining a close unity with other families of long-term missing people. The charity is all we have and the job is massive and the funds are short for one organisation to be able to sustain the needs of the magnitude of the issue.
Please read more about Damien’s story and my journey into this world of the missing by visiting our website.
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/missingpersonssupport
Twitter: @MisPersSupport #MissingPersonsSupport #DamiensLaw
We have recently published an update to the petition encouraging our supporters to write to their own local MP to raise more awareness.
We have received a response from the Home Office Safeguarding Unit, wishing us good luck with our campaign. They have assured us that improving missing persons guidelines is of utmost importance to them.
Missing People charity are now supporting Damien’s Law through their media team. In recent weeks, we have also gained support from professional criminologists, forensic psychologists and TV personalities.
We are delighted to also have Charlie Hedges MBE onboard, who is acknowledged as one of the UK’s acclaimed experts on missing persons, particularly children and those who are abducted and trafficked. We fully support his vision of a Centre of Expertise to be applied to practice, that will be a focal point for long term missing with delivery of specialised training.
If you feel strongly that our manifesto would make an improvement, please feel free to write to your own MP.
Thank you again for your support, it means a lot.
Kind regards
Valerie
I am one of over 3,000 people who have signed the petition on change.org for Damien’s Law.
The campaign has been established by Valerie Nettles, whose 16yr old son Damien went missing in Cowes, Isle of Wight 21yrs ago. He is presumed murdered, but his body has never been found. Hampshire Constabulary has mishandled the case from the start with a catalogue of over 30 issues raised in a complaint to PSD last year. IPCC referred the complaint back to Hampshire Constabulary for Local Investigation. As their conclusion was unsatisfactory, an appeal is currently being processed by the IPCC.
[insert your own paragraph here if you wish to elaborate why you signed this petition]
Mrs Nettles friend/supporter has had a response from Home Office Safeguarding Unit and her local MP, Michelle Donelan for Chippenham. She also has the support of Missing People charity, Charlie Hedges MBE and many highly acclaimed professionals.
I would be grateful if you can raise my concerns and keep me updated please. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest possible convenience.
We fully support Charlie Hedges MBE ambition of a Centre of Expertise to be realised.
We are delighted to have the support of Charlie Hedges MBE, one of the UK’s acclaimed experts on missing persons, particularly children and those who are abducted and trafficked. Please visit Charlie’s website for full details of his dedicated work to missing persons.
The Missing People charity is the only registered UK charity for missing persons. They run a 24/7 helpline with dedicated staff
Emeritus Professor of Criminology Birmingham City University; Chair Friends of Grendon; Vice President New Bridge. Author and TV presenter
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We run a Saturday Share project to raise awareness of long-term missing people who may not necessarily have a suitable platform for their missing loved one. We do a short write-up, appeal banner & photo collages and share media and video links throughout the 24hr period. We liaise closely with the family to ensure they are happy with what will be published. This is providing a huge success and in one case a possible breakthrough has been made.
If you have a missing family member and would like us to feature them, please visit Missing Persons Support Facebook Group Newsfeed and message an Admin to arrange a slot. We are happy to fit you in to coincide with birthdays or anniversaries as near to the date of your choice.
Missing Persons Support Facebook Group NewsfeedFollow us on Twitter @MisPersSupport to retweet our regular appeals for missing children and young adults.
CEOP works to keep children safe from sexual abuse and sexual grooming online