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Young homeless woman killed by falling tree in Exeter while camping

25 replies

duchesse · 25/11/2012 23:21

She was with a group of other homeless people who habitually camp there on the ring road I now learn. I know that things are getting very bad for a great many people but I live near Exeter and go there every day and am ashamed to say I didn't even know there were homeless people camping there. I did know that increasingly large numbers of people here are having to use the food bank to survive. How many more invisible people are silently suffering out there?

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AlreadyScone · 25/11/2012 23:24

yes it was a terribly sad thing, I followed the story on Twitter overnight.

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AuntPepita · 25/11/2012 23:26

There are often tents along the bank on Western Way up under the trees, I've seen them there a few times. Such a sad waste of a life. Everyone was someones baby once.

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scottishmummy · 25/11/2012 23:26

so very sad.i didnt know shed been homeless
under tory coalition the cuts significantly impact
hope her friends, family are well supported and debriefed

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wewereherefirst · 25/11/2012 23:27

I didn't realise people camped there either. How awful.

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AlreadyScone · 25/11/2012 23:46

I seem to remember reading that a community of homeless people were moved on from a camp near the city wall in the middle of last week...

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duchesse · 25/11/2012 23:50

The hideous irony is that it's just around the corner from the Devon & Cornwall Housing association isn't it?

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duchesse · 25/11/2012 23:52

That tree looked very sheltering, with branches right down to the ground. Unfortunately those types of trees are shallow-rooted.

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AlreadyScone · 25/11/2012 23:54

yes it probably seemed a perfect shelter from heavy rain. :(

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scottishmummy · 25/11/2012 23:55

in fairness a HA doesnt necessarily have ability or resources to accommodate homeless
we dont know what the specific circumstances of this woman case were
it is dreadful.my thoughts are with her friends and loved ones

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germyrabbit · 25/11/2012 23:55

she was quite young wasn't she? very sad

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AlreadyScone · 25/11/2012 23:55

...just realised the word "perfect" was wrong on so many levels.

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duchesse · 25/11/2012 23:56

I think she might have actually been killed by the wall that was dragged over when the tree uprooted. Apparently her tent was pitched alongside that brick wall.

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AlreadyScone · 25/11/2012 23:56

Yes early 20s I believe, germy

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AlreadyScone · 25/11/2012 23:57

yes I agree with scottishmummy, not much a housing association HQ could do near midnight on a Saturday,

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duchesse · 26/11/2012 00:02

They'd been there a few weeks at least though. In fact they were kicked off the site by Exeter Council a couple of weeks ago.

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scottishmummy · 26/11/2012 00:05

length of time camping that doesn't necessarily have bearing on the HA
not sure you cannot loosely link this to a HA, and we dont know details of case
HA take by referral,acceptance and placed on list. being homeless may not fulfil criteria

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scottishmummy · 26/11/2012 00:09

op youre linking a lot of potentially unrelated facts to a tragic accident
we have no idea her circumstances,or progress of any housing applications
councils will move on from inappropriate sites.as yet we dont know LA role in her case

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Monty27 · 26/11/2012 00:12

The coatlition is great at hiding statistics.

A highly qualified friend of mine has just lost her benefits because she didn't fill some job seeing form in correctly.

No wonder the unemployment statitistics are dropping..

The homesless statistics are dropping too because they just get deleted.....


RIP

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Monty27 · 26/11/2012 00:13

seeking*

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scottishmummy · 26/11/2012 06:35

if friend so well qualified how come she filled form out incorrectly?
most forms if completed inaccurate makes them invalid
that form completion has no bearing upon this tragic accident

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scaevola · 26/11/2012 06:39

RIP to her, and all those who died in this weeks floods.

Falling trees are a great hazard in storms, and sadly it seems there are fatalities on many occasions because o extreme weather.

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grimbletart · 26/11/2012 11:50

Very very sad. Re homelessness though it echoes a situation in the hurricane of 1987. I was working in London at the time and a homeless man was killed then by a falling tree in the Lincoln's Inn Fields area. The Fields were a camping ground at that time and for several years for scores of homeless people.

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Monty27 · 26/11/2012 16:05

SM yes, went off thread a bit there, ranting about the government and stats.

RIP

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FrothyOM · 29/11/2012 16:05

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/29/tribute-homeless-woman-tree-exeter

The guardian has done a tribute to her. Really sad life story. RIP.

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expatinscotland · 29/11/2012 16:14

What a tragic occurrence.

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