Most people in the United States have no idea who Sophie was. Let me tell you about her.
Sophie was a young woman, 20 years old who lived in Bacup, Lancashire, England, a suburban town 22 miles North of Manchester. She was on her bye year from university and intended to study for a degree in English literature. Her long time boyfriend, Robert Maltby, was an art student at the time. Today he is a successful painter. They were both members of the Goth subculture.
While returning home from a night out, Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby were subjected to a "vicious mob attack" from "a large group of people" in the early morning hours on Saturday, 11 August 2007, at the skate park area of Stubbylee Park, Bacup.
The couple were walking home and came across a group of teenagers at the entrance to the park. [6] The group followed them, but there was no trouble until some of them suddenly assaulted Robert Maltby without provocation. When he was knocked unconscious, the gang attacked Sophie Lancaster, who was trying to protect him by cradling him in her arms. A 15-year-old witness told police: "They were running over and just kicking her in the head and jumping up and down on her head.
Witnesses revealed that afterwards, "The killers celebrated their attack on the goths — or "moshers" - by telling friends afterwards that they had "done summat [something] good," and claiming: "There's two moshers nearly dead up Bacup park — you wanna see them — they're a right mess.
Both were hospitalised as a result of the attack, initially at Rochdale Infirmary. Robert Maltby's injuries left him in a coma with bleeding on the brain. He gradually recovered, but was left with lasting braindamage. Sophie was not so lucky.
In a deep coma at Hope Hospital in Salford, it became clear to hospital staff that she would never regain consciousness, and on 24 August 2007 her family agreed to switch off life support .
Murder was something that happened to her, But Who Was This Girl?
© 2011 - 2012 Simon Armitage, Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster
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