Statement by Sally Clark on having her conviction quashed by Court of Appeal

Wednesday 29th January 2003

Today is not a victory. We are not victorious. There are no winners here. We have all lost out. We simply feel relief that our nightmare is finally at an end. We are now back in the position we should have been in all along and plead that we may now be allowed some privacy to grieve for our little boys in peace and try to make sense of what has happened to us.

I would like to thank the hundreds of people who have written to me since my conviction to offer me their support. These letters have been my lifeline, a source of great comfort, especially during my blacker times, and I have read and re-read every one. Not only is it incredibly kind and thoughtful of people to take the time and trouble to write to me, but a number of them have been courageous enough to share very personal memories and relive painful experiences in the hope that it might be of some help. I told them that one day their faith in me would be seen to have been justified. That day has come.

I would like to thank the Governor, staff and inmates of Bullwood Hall prison for their compassion and understanding. Be in no doubt, it was a tough experience to be in prison, but the support that I received whilst I was there made it much more bearable. They say that friendships are often forged in the most unlikely situations. I leave behind a number of acquaintances and two close friends who have lived every moment of this ordeal with me. I would not have made it this far without them. It would not be appropriate to mention them by name. They know who they are, but my promise to one of them that I will do all I can to ensure that justice is done for her as it has been done for me today still stands. I will never forget them.

I would like to say a particular thank you to my legal team: Mike Mackey of Burton Copeland, and John Batt, my solicitors, without whose tireless hard work, commitment in the face of adversity and ceaseless belief in my innocence, none of this would have been possible. Clare Montgomery QC for her amazing grasp of the detail of my case and her peerless advocacy. Marilyn Stowe for helping us trace that crucial medical report. The same goes for Sue Stapely and David MacKay who kept the world informed of the injustice I had suffered and whose advice and guidance were invaluable throughout. There are so many others, too numerous to mention. I only hope that they will not be offended that I haven't mentioned them all by name. Each one deserves my personal thanks.

I am also grateful to the members of the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal who in May 2001 had the courage and sufficient faith in me to allow me to remain on the Solicitors' Roll and offered me the first glimmer of hope for many months.

Thank you also to all my friends out here, many of whom have been in court today, who have shown me unwavering and unconditional support and loyalty. It would have been understandable perhaps for them to have written to me when all this first happened, but then to have felt that they had done all they could and that it was time to move on. But no, they have been at my side throughout. Their friendship means so much.

The same goes for my family and, in particular, my Dad. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted him to be proud of me and have tried to live my life, respectful of those in authority and in accordance with the morals and values taught to me by my parents as a child. Despite my innocence there have been times throughout all of this when I have felt that I have let him down in some way. Yet he has stood by me, and not only that, worked tirelessly alongside my legal team to secure my release. Not what he had planned for his retirement. I only hope that he is proud of me today. I am certainly proud of him.

Finally, my husband, Steve, who together with our little boy, is my life. He has stood by me and supported me throughout this whole nightmare, not through blind love or unthinking loyalty, but because he knows me better than anyone else and knows how much I loved our babies. He has been my rock and I love him now more than ever. Being separated from him for so long has been a living hell. Being deprived of more than three years of being a mum to our little boy has been even worse. And yet somehow, despite our separation and against all the odds, we have managed to remain a family and stay close. My little boy knows that he has a mummy and a daddy who love him very much and love each other very much and that's what counts.

May we now be allowed the privacy to rebuild our lives, to move forward and to learn to be a proper family again.

Sally Clark

[Note: At present, Sally and Steve have no intention of granting any more interviews]