On 14th October 1997 my son Ricky went missing following a racist attack in Kingston upon Thames Town Centre. His 3 friends, who had also been racially abused, were able to regroup but Ricky never did. 7 days later his body was found at the bottom of the River Thames, just metres away from where the boys had been abused. He was only 20 at the time. 

Ricky had everything to live for. He was on a work placement in Central London, doing a Computer Science Course at Brunel; he had good friends and a loving family. He loved life and had his future mapped out. His life was cut short cruelly, and senselessly. 

23 years later, no one has been charged with his death. 

As a grieving family at the time we expected the case to be investigated thoroughly and without bias but we experienced a huge number of police failures, assumptions and stereotyping based on our colour. We had to carry out our own searches, conduct our own witness appeals and gather CCTV images showing Ricky’s last moments. We even had to commission our own post-mortem report which confirmed that Ricky had fallen into the river backwards not forwards as the police had tried to suggest.

The police investigation was found to have been seriously flawed by what was then called the Police Complaints Authority. 

To make matters worse we also now know during this time when we were grieving and I was trying to comfort my children  we were being spied on by undercover police because we were campaigning for justice. Rather than helping us find out what happened to Ricky, they infiltrated our home and our personal lives, at a time when we were most vulnerable. 

What are we asking for?
All these Police failings mean that no individuals have ever been brought to justice for Ricky’s death. We believe the police should be proactively working to solve this case. Over the last two decades we have witnessed huge improvements in technology and forensic science and this provides them with a new opportunity to examine all the evidence afresh and thoroughly. 

By signing this petition you can help our family get justice with a fresh investigation, but also, you can help make sure that this does not happen again. When our loved ones go out they should come home safely. When we need the police’s help, they should take us seriously.

My family and I have had our lives torn apart by what happened and the way we have been treated but I will never rest until we, through your support, get justice for my son. Please sign our petition, a few seconds can change lives. Please be part of that change.

- From Sukhdev Reel

“I support the call by the family of Ricky Reel and the Justice for Ricky Reel Campaign for the police to review the case of Ricky Reel afresh including a review of forensic evidence in the light of recent technological advances. Please sign the Petition and share.”- John McDonnell Member of Parliament for Hayes & Harlington

For further information of Police Spying on Justice Campaigns and other protest groups, please visit the website of the Undercover Police Public Inquiry.

This petition is being run with the support of The Monitoring Group.