Supporting the fight against prejudice

Sylvia Lancaster called on Medavia to handle the "media frenzy" of a trial

Having suffered brutal injuries which left her almost unrecognisable, Sophie died in hospital. In March, teenager Brendan Harris was found guilty of her murder, following a guilty plea from another member of the gang. That Sophie and her boyfriend were attacked simply for their gothic clothes and hairstyles sent shockwaves through the British press resulting in intense interest from newspapers, magazines, TV and radio. Here, Sylvia tells how Medavia helped her handle that interest…

When I lost Sophie I lost a part of myself that I will never get back. I will never come to terms with her death. After the initial shock I felt helpless – there was nothing I could do to bring my daughter back or rewind the clock; her brutal death seemed so senseless. What I decided I could do was shine a spotlight on the prejudice she and Robert had faced that night and on a daily basis previously, simply for the way they looked. I wanted to try and make sure no one else will ever suffer the way my daughter has done. To do this I needed the media – but it wasn’t until Medavia stepped in that I was able to use the offers that were flooding my way to the very best advantage.

As soon as news of Sophie’s attack broke I started to receive countless letters and phone calls from the press, TV and radio. I filed them away but didn’t know quite how to respond. As the trial approached I even had journalists turn up on my doorstep asking me questions that I didn’t know how best to answer. I knew I wanted to tell my story to the very best advantage after the trial, but it was so hard to say no to the constant enquiries. The reporters meant well but they were so determined and persistent. With so much else to cope with and my emotions running high, their demands were a burden I didn’t need. It felt like chaos.

Medavia wrote to me offering their help and I arranged a visit. I told them why I wanted to tell my story and that I wanted to do this after the trial. They promised to field all calls and offers in the meantime, making contact with all interested parties and dealing with their requests for me, so I could concentrate on Sophie’s trial. They even came to court with me on the most difficult days, helping me to field requests from the media there and shielding me from the glare of the cameras. It meant I didn’t have to worry about this side of things – I could concentrate on Sophie and getting justice.

After the verdict Medavia wrote me a short statement to read to the press, and then went about organising the very best outlets for my story. With my agreement they worked with newspapers, magazines, TV programmes and documentary makers securing me good financial offers and more importantly the wide coverage I wanted to deliver my message. Medavia’s own journalists even conducted some of the interviews themselves, and it was so nice to tell my story to people I already knew and trusted.

It felt like everyone wanted a piece of me during my ordeal. In the nicest possible way I was being pulled in all directions. Medavia calmed the situation and took control. Ultimately my story was told in the way I wanted, when I wanted. I don’t think I could have achieved that without them.