Father fears for Josie's recovery
British girl Josie Russell's recovery from the hammer attack in which her mother and sister were killed will be shattered if Michael Stone walks free on Thursday, according to her father.
Under the watchful eye of Shaun Russell, the 13-year-old has struggled to develop into an ordinary carefree youngster - interested in animals and boys, and wanting to spend time with friends.
But he said Josie could plunge back into a life of fear and uncertainty if Stone is released after the Appeal Court quashed his convictions for the 1996 attack in which she suffered severe head injuries.
Dr Russell said he would respect the legal process but added: "How can Josie be at peace if she knows that somewhere out on the street is a person who killed her mum and sister and who also tried to murder her? How can I?
"If Michael Stone is innocent, then where is the person responsible? They could be anywhere, it could be anyone. It doesn't bear thinking about".
He said it had taken them a long time to settle into an ordinary life where they weren't always looking over their shoulders.
"Nobody wants to live there life in fear. Josie has experienced more of that than almost any of us will in a lifetime."
Josie had been walking with her mother Lin and sister Megan down a footpath in Chillenden, Kent, when they were tied up and battered. Josie, who heard everything, was left to die.
She was so brain-damaged that doctors were afraid she might never speak again and the carefully-cultivated development of the child was a slow and painful process.
Since then, with the help of a secure and close-knit circle of friends and supportive teachers, she has grown into a fearless and courageous teenager, according to her proud father.
