Survivors of terrorist attacks, those who responded to terrorist attacks and those bereaved by terrorist attacks met in the UK on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the 7/7 Tube and bus bombings to discuss international responses to trauma. People attended who were affected by attacks in London, Manchester, France, Boston, and Canada, reports Caroline Davies in the Guardian.
Graham Foulkes, whose son David was killed in the 7/7 bombings, told the group, “This meeting is important because even though it is a few years now since 7/7, I have this overwhelming sense of abandonment. There isn’t any organisation that supports you continuously. I am not saying you need support on a daily basis, but there are times of the year when you just need to pick up the phone and speak to someone.”
Many attendees talked of initial sympathy and support, but said that support tended to stop at around the 18-month mark.
American Dave Fortier was injured in the Boston Marathon bombing, spoke of the group he co-founded, One World Strong, which connects those affected by terrorism to one another “to make the world a little bit smaller and a little bit more caring for a whole lot of people”.
