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Revision as of 13:37, 4 August 2006 by Musical Linguist (talk | contribs) (typo)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Abigail Witchalls (born 1978) is an English woman who was left paralysed after being stabbed in front of her twenty-one-month old son Joseph in Surrey, England, on 20 April 2005.
Born Abigail Hollins, the daughter of Dr. Martin Hollins and his wife Sheila, her family are committed Catholics with ties to the Lay Community of St Benedict. Abigail married Benoit Witchalls on October 12 2002.
On 20 April 2005, Abigail, while out walking with her son Joseph, was attacked by an unknown man, and was stabbed in the neck. She was pregnant at the time. She was found by a neighbour, and was taken to hospital. She was paralysed and unable to speak, and remained in intensive care for several weeks, communicating with her family and police by blinking. Police arrested three people, but later released them. She was initially treated at St George's Hospital in Tooting, then transferred to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore for rehabilitation.
On 12 May, a 23-year-old garden centre worker, Richard Cazaly, who lived close to the scene of the attack, apparently committed suicide in Scotland. Police revealed that he was a suspect. In a suicide note to his girlfriend, Cazaly wrote: "To my dearest Nessa, I am so, so sorry! I guess there is 2 of me. I'm very scared but it'll all be over soon! And everyone will be better off. I don't remember what happened but I'm scared I did it. You deserve better. Your mum will look after you. Tell her I'm so sorry for all of this. All my love always & 4ever." The note does not make any clear reference to Abigail Witchalls.
On 18 May, Witchalls's husband, Benoit, was interviewed on BBC's Crimewatch programme, and said that he and his wife felt no anger towards the attacker. Discussing his wife's future, he said, "People live wonderful lives paralysed from the neck down. Our expectations have had to change drastically in the last three weeks, but that's not to say that we're not still going to live peaceful lives, with a family." Three weeks later it was announced that her unborn baby was developing normally.
Abigail's second son, Dominic Adrian, was born five weeks early on 11 November, 2005. The birth was a natural one, and it was announced that she was breastfeeding, and that she had regained some use of her right arm.
On 22 November police announced that if Cazaly had been arrested in time, he would have been charged with attempted murder, and that they considered the case solved, despite Witchalls's failure to pick him out in a photograph identity parade.
In July 2006, Abigail and her family went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes to seek spiritual support. It was announced that a specially-adapted bungalow is being built for her, and that she hopes eventually to return to teaching.
References
- Michael Howie: "Man 'confessed' to Abigail attack". The Scotsman. Wednesday 23 November, 2005.
- Sinead McIntyre and Peter Allen: "Beaming with joy, brave Abigail visits Lourdes" Daily Mail. 3 August 2006
External links
- The Abigail Witchalls Trust
- Interview with Benoit Witchalls on BBC Crimewatch
- Timeline of events from BBC News