A mother and son whose lives have been completely reshaped by living under witness protection have called for a wholesale review of the system, warning that instead of keeping people safe it can be “hostile” to innocents.
The pair spoke to the Guardian on condition of anonymity after obtaining their official file, which they say shows that their pleas for help were dismissed and the value of their evidence in an investigation into a gang-related murder may have been exaggerated.
The mother, who was moved into a witness protection programme for her safety after giving court testimony more than two decades ago, said she did not recognise the evidence set out in a copy of her signed witness statement that she saw recently for the first time.
Their experience has led them to believe that they may not have needed to be placed in witness protection, which forced them to change their identity, cut off friends and all social contacts and move home multiple times. They also fear that institutional racism dating back to the time when the mother was first placed into witness protection may be behind aspects of their treatment by the original police force involved.
In a rare interview with two of 3,000 people in the programme – known as the UK Protected Persons Service – Rachel and her son said their recently released file showed a “witness statement” about gang members that Rachel says she did not fully make.
She said seeing the witness statement she had supposedly given was “an incredible shock” and “it is not mine”. Although the signature at the bottom appears to be hers, the witness statement contains details about suspects and witnesses in the crime that she says she didn’t know.
She said her file also showed that written complaints to senior politicians that the National Crime Agency (NCA) was making her feel as if “I am being punished for some horrific crime” were simply forwarded to the NCA, which oversees witness protection.
“To find these letters were sent to the NCA is scary,” she said. “I didn’t receive a response to any of them. There is nobody to turn to.”
The NCA said it could not comment on individual cases. A spokesperson said: “We are committed to treating people fairly, honestly and professionally. Our staff are specialists and the safety of those in our care is our main responsibility. We operate discreetly and only with the full cooperation of those for whom we have responsibility.”
Rachel, not her real name, said: “I do not believe I am alone in this type of scenario … and it is morally and ethically unfair that people like myself have to remain hidden for fear of retribution.”
She is now questioning whether her life in witness protection was triggered because the police overstated her knowledge of events around the crime – a situation she described as a possible “secret travesty”.
“To say I feel sick is an understatement,” she said. “I honestly cannot continue in this way – hidden and silenced, while my life withers away.”
Her son, who was an infant when his family went into witness protection, said: “We didn’t consent to this happening.” He has only ever told his girlfriend and his therapist about his status and that he lives in a “safe house”.
“In this family we have a lot of mental health issues,” he said, speaking from the pair’s secret accommodation. “There is definitely a feeling of isolation. Home is a strange concept. There’s a lot of paranoia because of this as well.”
His mother added: “I am rootless. There is nowhere for me any more.”
She said: “I am sure there will probably be some positive stories of individuals who have been treated well [in witness protection] and who have fully understood what they were entering – and that is good.”
But she said the system appeared to be “punitive and harsh”, perhaps because it was often used to enable people engaged in criminal activity to turn “supergrass”, and so it was not geared up to support people considered entirely innocent.
“Very quickly, is there a way to set up some sort of temporary tsar, somebody put in place to take a look at this?” she said. “Our case needs reviewing, but the whole system needs reviewing.”
The UK Protected Persons Service says it operates several units “with a large degree of secrecy”.
“Many of our cases involve witnesses and in all cases we are governed by rules as to what we can and what we cannot do,” it says in a statement on its website. “This kind of detail is discussed with the person concerned when a case is referred to us, and we do all we can to take into account the person’s wishes in terms of relocation areas, work, schooling and other issues.”
It says the service is “committed to treating people fairly, honestly and professionally” and that “the safety of those in our care is our main responsibility”.
“We operate discreetly and only with the full cooperation of those for whom we have responsibility,” it said. “Protected persons units have dealt with thousands of cases in the last 20 years or so. Protected persons quietly get on with their new lives in the knowledge that they are supported by the authorities and safe in their new locations.”