Campaign in Parliament: Meeting in Portcullis House
MPs, Peers, lawyers and family call for new investigation in the Duggan case
Calls for Attorney General to reopen case after new evidence unveiled
London, 27 March 2007: MPs, Lords, lawyers, family members, Jeremiah’s many friends and supporters today called on the Attorney-General to support the Memorial to grant an inquest into the case of Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Duggan, after compelling new evidence points to unlawful killing.
Jerry was killed in highly suspicious circumstances in Germany in March 2003. The case was instantly dismissed as a suicide even though Jeremiah’s parents immediately requested a full investigation. It emerged that Jeremiah ‘s identity as a British Jew emerged at the anti-Semitic LaRouche Institute.
New evidence from an independent forensic photographer obtained by Mrs Duggan following the Inquest contradicts the German findings. Whilst an initial examination of the scene does point to a road traffic accident, on closer forensic analysis, there are a number of points which do not fit this scenario. There are no traces of skin, hair, blood or clothing on either vehicle, nor is there any blood, tissue or clothing debris on the road. There are no tyre marks or other signs on either Jerry or on the cars, to indicate that either vehicle came into contact with the body. Forensic Experts have detected classic “defence wounds” to Jeremiah’s hands and forearms with head wounds that excludes any possibility that the injuries were caused when the body was hit, dragged or run over. Other indications show Jeremiah may have been battered to death with a blunt instrument – possibly a fist or a boot.
At the Portcullis House briefing at 2 pm on the 27th March Portcullis House, the Atlee Suite, Lord Janner of Braunstone opened the meeting and called upon the MPs to support the applications to the Attorney General to obtain a full investigation. Frances Swaine from Leigh Day & Co delivered a speech outlining the importance of compelling forensic evidence that makes the need for an investigation urgent. The German lawyer Nicholas Becker outlined the case that been taken to the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhr and the need for reconsideration by the German authorities. Shimon Samuels from the Wiesenthal gave a stirring speech outlining the dangers that were known concerning the LaRouche network and how this alone made a full enquiry imperative. Louise Ellman MP and Dr Rudi Vis MP led the discussion which stressed the importance for further political action. Many MPs including Simon Hughes MP, Alan Meale MP, Nick Hurd MP, and several others debated what would be the best steps forward. The friends of Jeremiah who were well represented by their MPs made the point that this could happen to any student and how important for all it was that such a suspicious death should be investigated. Members from groups such as Deaths Abroad, Just Umbrella, FAIR, AGR, Jubilee Campaign, Wiesenthal, Christian Friends 3 Faiths Interfaith Communities, B’nai Brith, Three Faiths Forum, Road Peace and Victims Voice raised concerns. .
Frances Swaine, from Leigh Day & Co. said: “In all my years of work, I have never seen one case where the grounds for a full and frank inquiry into a suspicious death were so compelling. We are therefore asking the Attorney General to use his power to quash the original Inquisition and order a new Inquest.”
Tony Metzer, barrister spoke about the obligation of the State to protect human life and how to fail to investigate a violent sudden death was a violation of article 2.
Erica Duggan, said: “It is four years since my son was killed and it has been an additional trauma that as a mother I should be left to investigate the death of my own son. Now that we have obtained evidence from independent forensic pathologists I am hoping that the German and the British authorities will conduct a full enquiry without delay.
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