Woman attacked and left for dead in Herefordshire asks "why" 25 years on
Clare Carmichael is renewing her appeal for information on the anniversary of the attack
A woman who was left with life-changing injuries after being attacked at her former home in Herefordshire twenty-five years ago is appealing for information as the case remains unsolved.
Clare Carmichael, formerly known as Clare Thomas, was attacked at a property in Leintwardine on the morning of Friday 28th September 2001.
No one has ever been charged over the attack, according to West Mercia Police.
H2 What happened on the day of the attack
Clare, who was 36 at the time, called into the house she had recently moved out of at around 9.15am that morning.
Once inside, she felt that something was not right, as items had been moved around.
She contacted family by telephone to share her concerns, ended the call and walked further into the property to look around.
She was then attacked.
Police were contacted at around 9.45am after no one was able to reach Clare by phone.
Officers attended the address shortly afterwards and found Clare unresponsive on the upstairs landing.
She had suffered a prolonged and violent attack which left her with significant head injuries, and she was not expected to survive.
The impact on Clare's life
Clare spent several months in hospital followed by many months of rehabilitation.
Twenty-five years later, the injuries continue to affect her daily life.
She was left severely disabled, with no movement in her right arm and restricted movement in her leg.
Clare also has limited vision, and her memory and word linking have been affected.
"I still live with the impact of the injures I suffered on that day," Clare said.
"I struggle to walk and can't use my right arm; this affects most daily tasks I do. The attack took away much of my independence, I have not been able to drive again," Clare said.
Clare has continued to live with medical complications because of her head injury, including several seizures which have meant spending time in hospital, and she is awaiting another operation to replace a plate in her head, which will mean a further stay in hospital.
"I struggle with speaking and finding the right words when I'm talking, this frustrates me as I really enjoy talking to people and being social," Clare said.
"My life has not been what it should have been. I wanted to be involved in every aspect of my children's upbringing, I loved being an active mum with my two boys, but I wasn't physically able to do this afterwards," Clare said.
"So much changed for me on that day, the life I wanted to live was taken away from me," Clare said.
"I manage to stay positive, I always say that you can laugh or you can cry, I choose to laugh, that's how I get by," Clare said.
Clare's message to her attacker
Several suspects were identified during the original investigation, but no one has ever been charged.
Speaking about the person responsible, Clare said she has one question she would like answered.
"If I was able to talk to the person who did this, I would just want ten minutes, to ask why? Why did you do this to me? I would simply like the answer to that one question," Clare said.
She is now appealing directly to anyone who knows anything that could help find her attacker to contact the police.
"I would also like to say thank you so much to all the people who have been so kind and who have helped me over the last 25 years, particularly all of the staff at the West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre in Birmingham and to my family and friends, especially my mum who has always helped me and looked after me," Clare said.
Police reviewing the case
West Mercia Police's Statutory and Major Crime Review Team is reviewing the historic investigation, known as Operation Krypton.
The review includes a focus on exploring advances in forensic technology and revisiting witnesses who provided evidence to the investigation team at the time.
Detective Sergeant Amy Kitosi-Isanga, from the Statutory and Major Crime Review Team, said the force's commitment to the case remains strong.
"Twenty-five years have now passed since the attack on Clare but our commitment to securing justice for her remains as strong as ever," Detective Sergeant Amy Kitosi-Isanga said.
"We know that someone, somewhere, has information about what happened that morning. It may be something that seemed insignificant at the time, or information that a person has been reluctant to share," Detective Sergeant Amy Kitosi-Isanga said.
"Over the years circumstances change and loyalties change. We would urge anyone who knows anything about this incident to come forward and speak with us," Detective Sergeant Amy Kitosi-Isanga said.
"Even the smallest detail could prove crucial," Detective Sergeant Amy Kitosi-Isanga said.
How to give information
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Statutory and Major Crime Review Team via Detective Sergeant Amy Kitosi-Isanga by emailing [email protected] .
Anyone who does not feel comfortable speaking directly to police can instead contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, either online or by calling 0800 555 111.
Crimestoppers say all contact is one hundred per cent anonymous and that they never ask for names or trace calls or IP addresses.
West Mercia Police has asked that, in line with Clare's wishes, the press does not seek media interviews with her at this time.