From the left: David and Emma Roussel, Cara Marsh with baby McKenzie, 14 months, and Luke Roussel. The family say they have been threatened and abused and fear for their lives after Lizzie Roussel was attacked in Town and killed four years ago. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0546556)
LIZZIE ROUSSEL died after a vicious beating in Town. Now, four years later, her family fear that one of them will be killed too.
‘We are still living a life of hell,’ son Luke Roussel, 26, said. ‘We have had text messages from islanders warning that they are going to kill me and claiming I’m a paedophile.
‘It’s making my life a misery. Sometimes I want to take it into my own hands.’ Daughter Emma Roussel, 22, said: ‘I’m getting hassle as well and I’ve been accused of abuse. I phoned up the police and was told to ignore it. Everywhere we go we get called paedophiles. I’m worried something like what happened to my mum in the past could repeat itself. I don’t think it will stop until all our family are dead.’
A family has made accusations of abuse against Roussel family members.
‘If it was true, I would not be allowed to have kids. Even now in Town I get called nonce and a paedophile,’ said Mr Roussel.
‘I have made complaints to the police over the years and all they say is, “we will have a word”.
‘I would like the police to put an end to it. I would like the police to lock them up and throw the key away. I just want to get on with my life.’
Just before Christmas Mr Roussel and his girlfriend were threatened at Cambridge Park that the woman and their child would be beaten up.
‘I just want to get on with my life and settle down with my girlfriend, Cara, and child, McKenzie, who is 13 months old. We have another baby on the way,’ said Mr Roussel, who is taking medication to try to deal with the problems.
‘My family have been harassed for the past 15 years.’
‘Things started going downhill and we had cars damaged and windows broken,’ he said.
In May 2005, Joanne Baker, then 20, and Layla Germain, then 17, were jailed for five years for a vicious, sustained and repeated attack on Elizabeth Roussel, 41, who died three days later.
Both admitted manslaughter and are now out of prison.
‘I think the sentence that was handed down was like something you would get for drugs.
‘I think they should have had 10 years at least and done their time,’ said Mr Roussel.
‘If they were to give stiffer sentences people might think twice about going out and kicking someone’s head in.’
Miss Roussel said: ‘One of the girls has apologised to me and my dad but the other one just smirks in my face. It’s like intimidation. Just stop it and move on and grow up.’
A police spokesman said: ‘The Guernsey Police investigate a wide range of complaints involving cases of alleged harassment, including those where people are put in fear of violence, and take appropriate action – including, depending on the circumstances, criminal prosecution.’
Article posted on 8th March, 2008 - 9.55am
11 Article Comments
Why do people only ever here one side of a story.
Now its time for me to tell you my familys side I dont
think People will ever be able to understand the pain
and suffering me and my little brother ever went through.
All though it was almost 12 years ago some nights i
still wake up screaming im now 17 and some times i dont
even feel safe in my own home.
Me and my little brother had to go and get
interviewed and when my sister Layla got arrested for
the murder of lizzy roussel the police had LOST are
interview tapes so it made me sick where luke said he
didnt understand why people called him a nonce and
a peadophile. Now you know why you all might understand
why.
Kind regards
Letitia Germain
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I feel compelled to write a comment on this story as a close friend of the Germain family.
since knowing them I have never know such a close loving family ALL try to come to terms with
with the fact that each and every member of the family has been permenantly scared by
the abuse they have suffered.
I have witnessed threatening text messages, phonecalls and loitering around the family
home trying to intimidate them, which to anyone would be disturbing enough but for the young
victims to be terrified to leave the house. They have also followed the now 13 year old victim
around town so he now will not go anywhere, why shoud he be punished further for the sick and twisted
actions of these awful people?
Layla Germain takes full responsiblity for her actions and has met with the family at a restorative justice meeting the matters were resolved and Layla assured the Roussel family that there would be no physical violence or abuse in the future as violence is never justified. At the end of this meeting Dave Roussel hugged Layla.
I Think your article was completely inaccurate and should this matter arise again it may be wise
for you to contact the real victims for their side of the story instead of proceeding with drivle
you would expect to read in lower standards of newspapers like The Sun or Daily Star. I would have expeacted more from The Guernsey Press.
Kelly-Ann Brehaut
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I feel the need to post on this website to say how disgusted I am to read this article in the press on Saturday, 8th March 2008. You are ill informed on the facts on this case and printing Joanne and Layla’s name without their consent is dispicable. You fail to realise that there are children involved in this. Even tabloids such as the Sun, Mirror, etc, attempt to research their stories before printing them, something which you have not done. For a family scared for their safety, I think it is a complete contradication to be pictured in the paper, thus exposing your identity to the world! Complete Hiprocracy infact! It is time the public heard the real story of Lizzy Roussel’s death detailing ALL the injuries she sustained that contributed to her fate. The phase pass the buck springs to mind. Anyone sat in the Court Room at the trial will know how most of Lizzy’s more serious injuries were caused. Both Joanne and Layla have served their time, time thought to be adequate punishment by the judge that called it. Why do you think that the sentences were so short and the judge so lienient about the punishement Joanne and Layla should receive? Answer, because he knew the real facts of the case. Both Joanne and Layla have shown remorse for their actions and having been out of prison for almost a year both are trying to get on with their lives. It is time they were left alone and their names no longer printed for all to see, ruining the any chance of ever living a normal life. I am not condoning their actions on that night and nor do I think that Lizzy deserved to die, but the details of why there was a fight in the first place seems to have been brushed under the carpet. This is a classic case of The Butterfly Effect, that has resulted in someone’s death. I do not think that Joanne and Layla are completely blameless in this, but nethier are the Roussel family. It is about time the public and the Press realised this. Like Emma Roussel was quoted at saying “shut up and move on”, take a leaf out of your own book…..
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lizzy was my cousin who did not need to died we all have faults but who does everyone has to start on emma or dave 5years was nt long enough
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No one will never no how much i been through , no one will ever understand tht i miss my mum , there’s one wish i would want an thts to spend another moment wid my mum but tht will never happen , people wanna realise wat they have an treasure it cuz i will never no wat its like to hug or tell my mum how much i love her again BE THANKFULL YOU STILL HAVE ONE
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i have known liz roussell for my entire life and to say she died for no good reason whats so ever .the women involved with this used her as a football and didnt think twice about it, its a shame this happened but we know that liz in her on way will find peace and tranquillity , god knows who done this and the time will come when they will have to beg him for forgiveness,when the day comes for there time lets see what happens .
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The only thing that truly bothers me is that my children or my brother’s children will ever no there nanny or will they ever get hugs or anything how will i tell my children wat happened to there nanny or why she aint her but i no some one will at the end of the day….. and it will not be me , and one more thing to add you took a wife , mother an grandmother away , how can you turn an say we are FRIENDS , i have my friends i dont need no more . I have never been so close to my family then i ever have but only what happened to my mother has BRUNG THE WHOLE FAMILY CLOSER TOGETHER …….WE ARE NOT FRIEND WE NEVER WERE WE ARE JUST TO SEPERATE FAMILYS ONE THAT IS TRADGICALLY REBUILDING OUR LIFES AFTER THE UNLAWFUL KILLING OF MY MOTHER ON JUNE 28TH 2004
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This is NOT a butterfly affect it was murder, And another thing i never said SHUT UP people wanna learn to read , i miss ma mum loads an all people can do these days is say shut up ,well i jus hope tht there tryin to rebuiled there lives like we are cus the past always comes bk to haunt YOU….!!!!!
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I think its wrong that lizzie had 2 die obviously but it was a fight that got out of hand and when ya no the reasons behind it its not so easy 2 judge. Justice was never bought the 1st time and thats why the fight took place, its jus tragedy some1 had 2 die. Justice should have been served many years ago, then maybe this would never have happened. We will never no, we jus need 2 move on
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Thats what we have done.We do not hate them we never will we jus want to get on with our lives like the rest of us
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I must say that I am very shocked to read the above. The Press have done themselves no favours at all.
Offenders must be given the opportunity to rebuild their lives once they have done their time and paid for the crime.
Repeating old news just sets the offenders back even further. What happened to the rehabilitation of offenders acts then?
The above article does not do anybody any favours at all. A complete disgrace for all concerned.
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