Hostage UK

Hostage UKis a charity which aims to support hostages and their families by providing specialist and pastoral care, both during and after kidnap. It is an independent organisation set up to meet a growing, and previously un-met, demand both in the UK as well as overseas.

Origins

Hostage UK was the brain child of Terry Waite CBE, the humanitarian author and former hostage of the Islamic Jihad Organisation and Carlo Laurenzi OBE. Terry had a personal and very public kidnapping in Lebanon and was held for five years. Carlo, whilst head of the NGO, Prisoners Abroad, became acutely aware of the lack of provision for families of detainees and the absence of help for returnees. In 2003 Terry and Carlo met for the first time and agreed to establish a new and independent entity to support families of kidnap victims. Having put together a shadow board of trustees and supporters, Hostage UK was officially launched in the Palace of Westminster in 2004. In 2014 Hostage UK’s work was recognised by the UK government when Hostage UK’s director Rachel Briggs was appointed an OBE in recognition of the work that Hostage UK do.^[1]

Goals and Aims

Hostage UK has three primary aims:

• To provide specialist services and pastoral support to hostages and their families, both during and after the case.
• To provide specialist education and independent advice to organisations with employees facing a kidnap risk to help them improve family support;
• To campaign and advocate for improved government and organisational policy and practice around kidnapping incidents.^[2]

While the organisation does not endorse the payment of ransoms,^[3] it takes a non-judgemental approach to those families that do chose to take this option. In addition to the production of reports and guides,^[4] Hostage UK occasionally makes public statements regarding issues which effect hostages and their families, such as their 2013 criticism of Facebook for allowing beheading videos on the social network. A Hostage UK statement said: "The public are well aware of the brutalities committed, and a public showing … adds nothing other than to cause further unimaginable suffering." ^[5]

High Profile Cases

In operation since 2004,^[6] Hostage UK has dealt with some high profile cases including those of David Haines ^[7] and Peter Moore.^[8] David Haines’ Family asked well-wishers to donate to the charity instead of sending flowers.^[9][10][11]

Many former hostages and family members of hostages work with the charity. These include Phil Bigley, the brother of murdered former hostage Kenneth Bigley,^[12] former hostage Judith Tebbutt ^[13] and former hostage Peter Rudge ^[14]

References