Under Ministry of Justice rules, taxpayers are liable for the funeral costs of prisoners who die in custody when there is no pre-paid funeral plan in place.
Huntley was killed in a prison attack (Image: Shutterstock)
A petition calling on the Government not to use taxpayers’ money to pay for the funeral of Ian Huntley has gathered more than 40,000 signatures within 48 hours. Pressure is mounting on the Justice Secretary to act after it emerged that public money was on the hook for the funeral of the child killer who was murdered in prison.
The petition calls on the Ministry of Justice to waive the £3,000 funeral contribution, cancel any planned prison memorial service, and review whether death-in-custody provisions should automatically apply to those convicted of the most serious crimes against children. The petition’s founder, Carly Batley, 47, from Deal in Kent, 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.”
Huntley murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002 (Image: ENTERPRISE NEWS AND PICTURES)
Huntley was reportedly attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at the maximum security jail on February 26.
The ex-school caretaker was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
He was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, where he died on Saturday morning.
Currently, under MOJ rules prisons state: “Prisons must offer to pay a contribution towards reasonable funeral expenses of up to £3,000.
“The only exceptions to this are where the family has a pre-paid funeral plan or is entitled to claim a grant from other government departments e.g., Department of Work and Pensions.”
Reasonable expenses include the cost of a coffin, funeral director’s fees, hearse, cremation or burial fees and faith or belief leaders’ fees.
They cannot be used to pay for a headstone, flowers, a wake or an obituary notice.
He was attacked in HMP Frankland where he was serving life with a minimum term of 40 years. (Image: PA)
Huntley’s daughter, Samantha Bryan, made clear she does not believe her father deserves a funeral or a grave.
The 27-year-old, who only discovered Huntley was her father while researching a school project at age 14, said: “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.”
Former prison governor and criminal justice expert Ian Acheson has said Justice Secretary David Lammy has the authority to override prison service policy.
“If there’s anything that says it’s mandatory for him to have a memorial service, that must and can be overridden by the secretary of state,” he told The Times.
The scheme has previously been used to fund the funerals of other notorious killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, in 2020. The Ministry of Justice has so far
