Ian Huntley died in the RVI in Newcastle after he was attacked in Frankland Prison
12:21, 11 Mar 2026Updated 12:53, 11 Mar 2026
Ian Huntley(Image: Toby Melville/PA Wire)
Over 40,000 people have signed a petition to block public funding for the funeral of child murderer Ian Huntley, after he died following an attack at HMP Frankland. In less than 48 hours since it was posted, the petition had surpassed the milestone, with the Soham killer dying at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle city centre on Saturday morning.
A long-standing scheme by the Ministry of Justice requires the prison service to contribute up to £3,000 of public money for any prisoner who dies while in custody, as well as a memorial service organised through prison chaplaincy. The petition was launched by Carly Batley, 47, of Kent, on Sunday, and it calls for the following:
The Ministry of Justice to waive the £3,000 funeral contribution, and cancel any planned prison memorial service.Review whether death-in-custody provisions should automatically apply to those convicted of the most serious crimes against children.
On her decision to launch the petition, Carly said: “There were so many missed opportunities with Huntley. He should never ever have been allowed anywhere near children. The system failed Holly and Jessica and their families, and they deserve better now.”
Huntley murdered 10-year-old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002, and he was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years behind bars, with his death after the assault at the County Durham prison now renewing debate around whether prisoners convicted of crimes of this magnitude should be given these protections.
His own daughter, Samantha Bryan, 27, who only discovered Huntley was her father while researching a school project at age 14, said: “He shouldn’t have the dignity of a funeral and grave. I will not be going. A funeral is pointless for a man like him.”
Former prison governor and criminal justice expert Ian Acheson, explained that Justice Secretary David Lammy has the authority to override this policy, saying to The Times: “If there’s anything that says it’s mandatory for him to have a memorial service, that must and can be overridden by the secretary of state.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation’s history, and our thoughts are with their families.”
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