Hazel Jones, the older sister of murdered five-year-old April Jones, has broken her silence nearly fourteen years after the horrific crime that devastated her family. In an emotional interview, she has spoken publicly for the first time about the ongoing trauma and her strong views on the punishment of her sister's killer.
The Tragic Disappearance That Shook a Nation
April Jones vanished while playing on her bicycle just yards from her family home in the quiet Welsh town of Machynlleth, Powys, in October 2012. Despite an enormous search operation involving police and hundreds of volunteers from the local community, her body was never fully recovered. The case captured national attention and left a permanent scar on the small Welsh community.
The Conviction and Unanswered Questions
Mark Bridger, who rented a flat close to where the abduction occurred, was convicted in 2013 and received a whole-life prison term. He was found guilty on multiple charges including child abduction, murder, perverting the course of justice, and the unlawful concealment and disposal of a body. While most of April's remains were never located, forensic teams discovered fragments at Bridger's cottage, which were later buried in her hometown.
The family's tragedy was compounded when April's father, Paul Jones, died suddenly in 2020 after contracting a virus. The 56-year-old former pub doorman had been living with encephalitis, a serious brain condition, for eight years prior to his death. He never learned what happened to his daughter's body after her abduction, adding another layer of grief to the family's suffering.
A Sister's Pain and Demand for Justice
Hazel Jones, now 31 years old, has revealed that even after nearly fourteen years, the reality of her sister's murder has not fully sunk in. "I still don't believe it," she confessed. "I don't know whether I don't want to believe it but I just don't believe it happened to us. I'm still waiting to wake up from this nightmare."
Fond Memories and Last Moments
Hazel shared poignant memories of her last moments with April, recalling: "She was in the kitchen, she was with my dad and they were making hot chocolate, and laughing. She was wearing army pyjamas. But that was the last time I ever saw her. I wish I knew that was the last time." These ordinary family moments now carry extraordinary weight in the shadow of what followed.
Strong Views on Punishment and Suffering
Hazel has expressed firm opinions about how her sister's killer should be treated during his life sentence. After learning about a second attack on Bridger in prison, she stated: "He deserves everything he's getting. He literally deserves it all." She went further in her condemnation, arguing against the death penalty for sex offenders while advocating for measures that would make them suffer.
"They should be made to suffer," Hazel insisted. "The death penalty is an easy way out. He didn't give April an easy way out, did he? Make him suffer, make him live every day because he's not coming out. Make him live in fear." She also voiced strong support for proposals to chemically castrate sex offenders, stating: "Chemically castrating paedophiles is 100 percent right. I'm so backing that."
The Ongoing Impact on a Family
The interview reveals how the murder continues to affect the Jones family more than a decade later. Hazel's decision to speak publicly represents a significant moment in the family's journey through grief, coming after years of silence following the very public nature of the investigation and trial. Her words provide insight into the lasting psychological impact of such crimes on surviving family members.
The case of April Jones remains one of the most high-profile child murder investigations in recent British history, with the failure to recover her body adding particular anguish to the family's loss. Hazel Jones's decision to break her silence after fourteen years underscores how such tragedies continue to reverberate through families and communities long after court proceedings have concluded.
