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Following an extraordinary journey
Twelve years ago, Josie Russell was left for dead on a quiet
country lane in Kent.
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Her mother Lin and younger sister Megan died
following the vicious attack.
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Her father Shaun was initially told
that he had lost his whole family, but was then told that Josie had
survived the attack, though her injuries were horrific.
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Her slow and traumatic road to recovery became a very public one as
the little girl in the floppy hat captured the hearts of millions.
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As Josie turns 21, One Life (Tuesday 1 April 2008, ´óÏó´«Ã½ One) looks at
her extraordinary journey to becoming the happy, independent young
woman she is today.
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"What happened to me in the past, it can't bring Lin and Megan
back," says Josie. "I've never really wanted to talk about it
because I was only nine at the time, but now I think I'm ready to
find out more about what happened to me and how it affected who I
am today."
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She is currently living in Bangor, in her final year of an art
diploma. She owns her own home, has a steady boyfriend, and is
involved with various overseas charities.
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In this moving programme made by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales, Josie pieces together
the tragic events of her past and returns to King's College
Hospital in London where she meets Dr Marian Crouchman, the
consultant who assessed her when she was first admitted.
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Josie also
meets up with police officers Edwin Tingley and Pauline Hobson-Smith who spent over two years working with her, gathering evidence
about the harrowing attack that left her traumatised and unable to
speak for months.
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Dr Marian Crouchman has not seen Josie since she was treated at the
hospital.
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"I think it's quite extraordinary seeing her today," she says after
spending time with Josie and explaining the details of her injuries
to her.
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"I thought that I would be able to have a conversation with
her but that it would become very rapidly apparent that there were
still quite major holes in her language development and I'm
pleasantly surprised."
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Edwin Tingley and Pauline Hobson-Smith used ground-breaking
techniques to help the nine-year-old Josie piece together what
happened on that fateful day.
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Evidence gathered eventually helped
convict Michael Stone of the murders.
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"We actually pushed the guidelines quite a bit and we wondered how
we were expected to talk to her, get that information out of her,"
says Pauline Hobson-Smith.
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"We were actually advised at one point – 'give Josie a pencil and paper and see what happens' – but at that
time we knew Josie couldn't even hold a pencil let alone write
anything down. So obviously there was a lot she still had to tell
us."
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Her father Shaun brought Josie to north Wales where they had been
living as a family before the move down to Kent.
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Here she learnt to
speak again at the local Welsh medium primary school with help and
support from the close community. And it is in north Wales that
Josie has remained.
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"It's been really good filling in the gaps and meeting people like
the doctor and Ed and Pauline," says Josie.
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"But I don't want to go
to Kent again or talk about Michael Stone because there's no point.
The only thing I do think about is why did he do it, if he did. I
just want to think about the good memories of Lin and Megan and
mostly about the future and now."
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Josie's Journey: One Life, Tuesday 1 April 2008, ´óÏó´«Ã½ One, 10.35pm
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´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales Press Office
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