Surviving my daughter’s killing

Surviving my daughter’s killing

From Dear Daughter by BBC World Service

March 13, 2026 · 24 min

About this episode

Kate shares her emotional journey after the tragic loss of her daughter Ann and her choice of restorative justice.

When 19-year-old Ann from Florida, USA was shot by her boyfriend in 2010, her family were thrust into a nightmare, one that meant taking the agonising decision to withdraw her life support. In this intensely moving account of violence and loss, Ann’s mother, Kate, tells Namulanta that instead of pursuing the traditional court process, she chose something almost unheard of at the time - restorative justice. Sitting face to face with the man who killed her daughter she entered a process that allowed her to shape his sentence and speak openly about the impact of Ann’s death. In her highly emotional letter to Ann for Dear Daughter, Kate reveals an extraordinary decision—one that will stay with you long after her story ends. To find out more about Dear Daughter, to take part, or read our privacy notice, please go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter. Or you can contact the team via WhatsApp on +44 800 030 4404.

People in this episode

Host: Namulanta

Guest: Kate

Topics covered

  • violence
  • loss
  • restorative justice
  • grief
  • mother-daughter relationship

Keywords

  • Ann
  • Kate
  • restorative justice
  • violence
  • loss
  • grief
  • Florida
  • mother
  • daughter

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service

Places: Florida

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