Justice CommitteeWritten evidence from Vicki Derrick
1. My name is Vicki Derrick and my husband Vincent (Vinny) Derrick has been missing since 30 August 2003 during the past eight years I have not only had to deal with the fact that my husband is missing, I have also had to continue to pay the mortgage and bills etc. It has been at times extremely difficult and one of the worst experiences I have ever had to deal with.
2. Does the current system work effectively? Quite simply NO it doesn’t. I have first hand experience of how difficult it is to try and resolve financial matters when someone goes missing, for the past 14 months I have been trying to do just this, as my husband has now been missing for over seven years.
3. Like many people I believed a person is presumed deceased automatically after seven years, however this is not the case. I initially spoke to the police for advice and guidance who suggested I contacted a solicitor, again I have spoken to quite a few solicitors and have yet to meet one who has dealt with anything like this, while I understand that my case is very rare I am absolutely astounded that in this day and age there is no proper measures in place to offer families like myself the proper help and guidance we deserve.
4. I now have a solicitor (who has never dealt with a case like this before) who is helping me to try and get a life insurance policy that myself and my husband took out in 2002 paid out. Again the insurance company have never paid out on a policy like this before and I have faced many hurdles over the past fourteen months; no one seems to know the correct way to proceed with this or what legal paperwork they need from me to enable me to deal with my husband’s affairs, not the insurance company, solicitors and even the courts at the time of writing this I am still no further along. I feel very let down and frustrated.
5. I feel very strongly that this matter should be looked into and investigated further. The solution is very simple: we need to follow the way of Scotland and Northern Ireland and have a Presumption of Death Act in place in England and Wales to create one straightforward procedure that enables families to sort out all financial matters.
6. To summarise I can’t fully explain the nightmare I have been living for the past eight years, the unknown of not knowing what has happened to my husband and if I ever will, the fact that life still goes on bills need to be paid, we have a 10 year old son and I will keep fighting on for him to enable he has the secure future he deserves.
September 2011