More than 42,000 people have signed a petition calling for public funding to be blocked for the funeral of Soham killer Ian Huntley. The petition, launched on Change.org, urges the Ministry of Justice to waive the £3,000 contribution towards Huntley's funeral and cancel any planned prison memorial service.
Huntley, 52, died at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle on Saturday after being attacked with a metal bar at HMP Frankland on February 26. He was serving a life sentence for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002.
Carly Batley, who launched the petition, said: 'There were so many missed opportunities with Huntley. He should never ever have been allowed anywhere near children. The system failed Holly and Jessica and their families, and they deserve better now.' She added that even Huntley's daughter, Samantha Bryan, believes he does not deserve a funeral or a grave.
Ms Bryan, 27, who discovered Huntley was her father at age 14, told The Sun: 'He shouldn’t have the dignity of a funeral and grave. I will not be going. A funeral is pointless for a man like him.' She suggested his ashes should be flushed down the toilet.
Former prison governor Ian Acheson said Justice Secretary David Lammy has the authority to override prison service policy. The Ministry of Justice scheme has previously been used to fund funerals of other notorious killers, including Peter Sutcliffe in 2020.
The Soham murders led to sweeping reforms in police intelligence sharing following the Bichard Inquiry, which identified 'errors, omissions, failures and shortcomings' in child protection procedures.
