大象传媒

In August 2010, the body of 27 year old Gemma Hayter was found, tortured and naked, on a disused railway line in Rugby, Warwickshire. Throughout her short life, Gemma鈥檚 mother had fought with social services and the medical profession to get a diagnosis for the learning disability that Gemma so clearly had. Despite numerous assessments, the relevant authorities decided that she was able to live an independent life without any support.

Beginning with her vicious murder, Gemma: My Murder tells the story of her short life from her struggles with school to her determination to live independently like any other young person. Through her mother, Sue, sister, Nikki, niece Taylor, friends and others who knew her, we discover a lively, loving, if challenging young woman who adored children and loved pop music. Aged 25, Gemma moved into her own flat and her family were pleased to see that she had some new friends. But her learning difficulties left her vulnerable to exploitation by this group who befriended her, taking her money, using her flat to store illegal drugs and coercing her into shoplifting on their behalf. Powerless to intervene, and with no help from the authorities, Gemma鈥檚 family and friends could only stand by as, unknown to them, her five 鈥渇riends鈥� mistreated Gemma, leading to her brutal murder in the middle of the night. Almost a decade later, her friends and family are still struggling to come to terms with the killing 鈥� this is Gemma鈥檚 story.