Reckoning

Alison Connolly, 49, was stabbed to death by two sisters Charice and Amberstasia Gassmann, in May 2015 and the pair were later jailed. Alison had been sexually abused throughout her childhood by her father and had never been able to speak out.He later abused and raped Alison's daughter, Tara, also. After her mother was murdered, Tara became intent on justice, and, on the eve of her mother's wake, she secretly recorded her grandfather's confession. He was later jailed for 19 years for child abuse and died in prison.Tara, 38, says: "The child abuse was the catalyst for everything which went wrong in Mum's life. It was a chain reaction from that moment. She was vulnerable and lacking in confidence and she could never stand up to her father."She did her best for all her children; she loved us all so much and she gave us strength and resilience. It was that same strength which helped me confront my grandfather years later.""I feel proud that I got justice for Mum, and that other children were made safe from him. We miss Mum so much every day and I hope her death highlights the devastating impact of violent crime and abuse. I forgive her killers, but miss her every day."