Relatives of Britons murdered abroad often get less support than killers

FAMILIES of Britons murdered abroad are being treated as “second-class” victims by being denied compensation or translation services to which even the killers are entitled, according to the Victims’ Commissioner.

In a major report on families bereaved by murders abroad, Vera Baird said some relatives felt the defendants had received more support from the British authorities than they had been offered “despite the fact they are grieving for a loved one”.

One family told Ms Baird’s team that the Foreign Office refused to provide translation for them in a Greek murder trial because they “feared being sued if they made a mistake” while the killer had an interpreter by his side for the entire trial.

In an exclusive article for The Daily Telegraph, Ms Baird calls on the Government to end the anomaly that denies families of the 60 to 90 Britons murdered abroad each year the right to claim criminal injuries compensation, as UK victims are, or financial aid for translation in complex foreign trials.

The Government changed the rules in 2012 so that victims of terror attacks abroad became eligible for compensation but it excluded other victims.

Ms Baird said: “The rationale behind this distinction is not clear. Bereaved victims of murder abroad can face substantial costs, for example, in repatriating the body or using the services of an interpreter when seeking justice.”

Ms Baird believes that the Foreign Office should take responsibility for translating all key documents for the bereaved families