Ian Huntley, the convicted Soham murderer, will reportedly not be given a funeral following his death in hospital earlier this month. Huntley died on March 7 at the age of 52, after suffering a brutal assault at HMP Frankland in Durham on February 26.
According to reports, Huntley’s family has declined the offer of a state-funded funeral service. Instead, his ashes are expected to be scattered at a secret location by his relatives, avoiding any public ceremony.
The decision comes amid public outrage, including a petition signed by over 50,000 individuals demanding that Huntley not receive a state-funded funeral. His daughter, Samantha Bryan, has publicly stated her opposition to any memorial service, saying, “He shouldn’t have the dignity of a funeral and grave. I will not be going.”
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She added, “A funeral is pointless for a man like him. Funerals are supposed to be about celebrating someone’s life and there’s nothing about him to celebrate. There’s no point having a funeral as he’ll burn in hell. There is no place for him in heaven. The devil is waiting.”
Huntley was convicted of the horrific 2002 murders of two young girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, a case that shocked the nation. As a school caretaker, he was serving a life sentence for his crimes.
A source close to the family told The Sun, “There will be no funeral. How could there be after what he did? He will simply be cremated and his ashes handed to his family.” The family has reportedly been “utterly appalled” by his actions and felt they could not in good conscience hold a funeral.
While the prison service has the ability to allocate up to £3,000 of public funds for a basic funeral for inmates who die in custody, concerns were raised about taxpayers funding a funeral for Huntley. Justice Minister Sarah Sackman addressed these concerns, stating, “This man, Ian Huntley, doesn’t deserve anything more than the absolute bare minimum. We’re not spending £3,000. That’s the maximum our policy allows.”
Sackman emphasized solidarity with the victims’ families, expressing regret only that Huntley was no longer alive and would not face further punishment in prison.