The Justice for Carolina Action Group has stated that the Chief Minister has not given "a written response" to their petition, which was submitted on 18th November 2021 to the Chief Minister, His Excellency the Governor and the Attorney General.

A statement from Justice for Carolina Action Group follows below:

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, has not yet delivered on his promise, made almost two months ago, to give a written response to the Justice for Carolina Action Group’s petition, which attracted over 5,000 signatures. It was submitted on the 18th November 2021 to His Excellency the Governor, Fabian Picardo, and Michael Llamas, the Attorney General. 

The Group has today pushed for that promised reply. 

The petition called for a full independent inquiry into the handling, by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Christian Rocca, of the case involving the killing of Carolina Lishman by her husband Real Lishman. 

The Group also organised a March for Justice on the day of her killer’s release from prison. It was attended by over 800 people.

A spokesperson for the group said:

“The petition and march show the strength of public feeling, yet, almost two months on, we have been met with nothing but vague statements, but predominantly with silence.

Nothing will bring Carolina back, or return to jail the man who so violently took her life, but the Group seeks the written answers which are due and have been promised and will continue its campaign for an independent inquiry.”

Further, the Group express disbelief at the Chief Minister’s criticism and belittling of opposition parties on GBC’s “Direct Democracy” last month, when he accused them of involvement because it was “popular down Main Street”. That shows that he ignores the strength of the public mood, and the seriousness of a case in which a young life was cruelly taken, with a grieving family left feeling that it has been denied justice. 

Recent comments from the Chief Minister and the Commissioner of Police referring to “facts” available to the DPP imply that those individuals have a sense that justice has been done, and that they give little weight to the reality that public confidence in the justice system has been damaged by the decisions of the DPP.  

The public are left with questions and not answers.

The Group stresses that the ongoing professional conduct complaint, by the Murray family, against Christian Rocca does not overlap or impact on its call for an independent inquiry, given that the complaint exclusively relates to his behaviour as a lawyer.