The family of Dawn Sturgess, who died after exposure to the nerve agent Novichok, has said they were glad that no one else lost their life in the incident. Caroline Sturgess, Dawn’s mother, paid her respects to her daughter at the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry saying she was an “intelligent, selfless, and kind person”. The inquiry has already heard that the discarded perfume bottle containing the Novichok was deadly enough to kill thousands. Caroline told the inquiry that her family found solace in the fact that Dawn’s daughter was not killed in the incident.
The former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, his daughter, and a police officer all survived after being poisoned with the same nerve agent in Salisbury in 2018. Charlie Rowley, Dawn’s partner, also survived after unwittingly giving her the perfume bottle with Novichok. The incident has caused diplomatic tensions between Russia and the UK. Russia denies any involvement, calling the inquiry “a circus”.
Dawn, 44, and a mother of three would have been a grandmother now, but will never know the joy of meeting her grandchild. Caroline read a statement from Dawn’s daughter, who wanted to protect her identity. She wrote, “The day I heard she had fallen really ill was heartbreaking. In my mind, I thought she would push through it, because there was nothing my mum couldn’t handle.”
The investigation is still ongoing. Dawn’s family has shown tremendous courage in dealing with the aftermath of the attack. They have been keen to ensure that lessons are learned from the tragedy so that no one else would have to suffer the same fate. While the attacker remains at large, they have praised the police and medical professionals who worked tirelessly to try to save Dawn. They said that they were grateful for everyone who provided support in their grief
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
