Meet the woman with a tragic past who is taking a stand for a local cause indy100 indy100 Indy100 logoNewsletter sign upRegister/Sign inTop 100NewsViralPoliticsCelebritiesScience & TechVideoWishlistWishlistBooksFashion & BeautyFood & DrinkHome & GardenKidsSports & FitnessTechTravel & OutdoorsMoreScience & techVideoConversationsSportIdentitiesLifestyleShowbizTVSearchxCelebrities
Meet the woman with a tragic past who is taking a stand for a local cause
Katie GrantJan 15, 2015 Josie Russell, crime victim turned campaigner Moving on from tragedy
A woman who survived an horrific attack that left her mother and sister dead has spoken of her decision to publicly oppose a quarry in her town, attracting a flurry of media attention. Josie Russell was nine when she was left for dead by a man who bludgeoned her mother Lin and six-year-old sister Megan with a hammer. Ms Russell, now 27, received severe head injuries but rebuilt her life. She is now a successful artist. Why did she decide to take a stand
Ms Russell avoided the public eye for nearly two decades but spoke out against plans to extract 150,000 tonnes of slate waste from a quarry at Talysarn, near her cottage in Snowdonia. The textile designer, who was concerned about noise and dust which might cause the lung disease silicosis, has been celebrating since planners voted against the scheme. She said: “Our lives would have been ruined.” How did her campaign go
Ms Russell said: “I was proud to stand with my friends and neighbours as the final decision was made.” However, she revealed that she was criticised by backers of the quarry for taking part and was even accused of exploiting her tragic past. Let me guess – those pesky internet trolls
Who else? “My involvement has been criticised by a minority of people who feel that our case was only ‘newsworthy’ because I had been attached to it,” Ms Russell said. “I have been accused of only turning to the press when I ‘want something’ or when it ‘suits my own ends’. Despite the rush of joy I am feeling… it saddens me deeply that cheap shots are being made.” How did she respond
Ms Russell said she would have preferred to remain a “private person” but she had no choice but to get involved. “Every time I liaise with the press, I have mixed feelings,” she said. “Could I bear another look into my private life for the sake of our cause? Could I risk being misquoted or attacked over the internet if it helped us to safeguard our homes? When I thought about it like that, there really wasn't a choice at all.” More: Meet the man who turned down life of crime to become chess grandmasterKeep reading...Show less Restauranteur who banned Corden says now feels ' really sorry for him'
Kanye West just applied for a trademark for a very NSFW phrase
Lisa Gilroy' s sad story about rude fans goes viral but there' s a twist
Please log in or register to upvote this article Top 100
Who won today' s PMQs Truss tells Starmer she' s ' a fighter not a quitter'
prime minister's questionspmqsliz trusskeir starmerprime minister's questions2h Elon Musk reportedly thought that Grimes was not real
elon muskgrimescelebritiesspacexteslaelon musk6h Just Stop Oil protester praised for ' great' explanation of soup stunt
just stop oilvan goghprotestclimate activistsjust stop oil6h Man endures ' 29 hour flight' with screaming kids for the entire trip
flightplanechildflightOct 12, 2022 Lorraine Kelly hits out at Madonna' s ' boiled egg' face
madonnamadonnalorraine kellygmbshowbizplastic surgeryOct 11, 2022 Elon Musk is actually selling a ' Burnt Hair' fragrance
elon muskthe boring companyperfumeelon muskburnt hairOct 12, 2022 Couple spark debate for ' scandalous' wedding cake topper
wedding caketiktokwedding cakeviralOct 12, 2022 Love Island star shows extent of how far influencers edit photos
Love IslandLove IslandinfluencersshowbizOct 11, 2022 Jon Stewart slams Arkansas attorney general for her ' anti-trans law'
lgbt+Oct 11, 2022 Steven Seagal describes Putin as one of ' greatest world leaders'
steven seagalOct 10, 2022 Lizzo wears empowering shirt after being fat-shamed by Kanye West
lizzoOct 10, 2022 14 of the worst things the Tories did this week
liz trussOct 08, 2022 M People' s Mike Pickering was ' appalled' hearing Liz Truss used song
Liz TrussOct 06, 2022 Why Elon Musk once gave $1m to Mr Beast
mrbeastOct 05, 2022The Conversation (0)