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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Foreign Office did not help us, says father of man murdered in Berlin | Foreign Office did not help us, says father of man murdered in Berlin |
| (4 months later) | |
| Luke Holland’s parents say they had no support from FCO when their son was killed by neo-Nazi in German capital | |
| Frances Perraudin | |
| Tue 10 Oct 2017 16.48 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 15.40 GMT | |
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| The father of a tech entrepreneur who was murdered by a neo-Nazi in Berlin has criticised the Foreign Office for failing to support him and his wife after the death of their son. | The father of a tech entrepreneur who was murdered by a neo-Nazi in Berlin has criticised the Foreign Office for failing to support him and his wife after the death of their son. |
| Luke Holland, 31, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was shot in the chest and abdomen with a sawn-off shotgun outside a bar in the German capital in September 2015. | Luke Holland, 31, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was shot in the chest and abdomen with a sawn-off shotgun outside a bar in the German capital in September 2015. |
| In July 2016, Rolf Zielezinski, 63, an unemployed construction worker, was sentenced to 11 years and seven months in jail for the murder. | In July 2016, Rolf Zielezinski, 63, an unemployed construction worker, was sentenced to 11 years and seven months in jail for the murder. |
| Holland’s parents argue that their son was killed because he was a foreigner. During Zielezinski’s trial, Holland’s mother, Rita, confronted him with a photo of her son. He shrugged at her, smiled, and said: “English”. | Holland’s parents argue that their son was killed because he was a foreigner. During Zielezinski’s trial, Holland’s mother, Rita, confronted him with a photo of her son. He shrugged at her, smiled, and said: “English”. |
| However, the murder was not treated as a hate crime by German authorities, despite the fact that Zielezinski’s flat was found to contain Nazi memorabilia, including a bust of Hitler. | However, the murder was not treated as a hate crime by German authorities, despite the fact that Zielezinski’s flat was found to contain Nazi memorabilia, including a bust of Hitler. |
| “On the night the police came around to tell us that our son was dead, we were given a number to call the Foreign Office,” Philip Holland told the Guardian. “So we called that number and they said they didn’t know anything about [the murder] and that they would call us back. | “On the night the police came around to tell us that our son was dead, we were given a number to call the Foreign Office,” Philip Holland told the Guardian. “So we called that number and they said they didn’t know anything about [the murder] and that they would call us back. |
| “They didn’t call us back the next day, so we called them and they said they’d get someone to call us back. So it was two days before they called us back.” | “They didn’t call us back the next day, so we called them and they said they’d get someone to call us back. So it was two days before they called us back.” |
| The Hollands, both 63, were told they could not see their son’s body until they had arranged for a funeral director to transport it back to the UK. They were provided with links to web pages with lists of funeral directors who would only transport bodies to London, so they were forced to do their own research to find a firm that would repatriate to Manchester. | The Hollands, both 63, were told they could not see their son’s body until they had arranged for a funeral director to transport it back to the UK. They were provided with links to web pages with lists of funeral directors who would only transport bodies to London, so they were forced to do their own research to find a firm that would repatriate to Manchester. |
| “They just sent us reams of web pages to read through – which were totally irrelevant and about what the Foreign Office does when people lose their passports and that sort of thing. At that moment in time we weren’t in the frame of mind to read through pages and pages to find out what the Foreign Office does.” | “They just sent us reams of web pages to read through – which were totally irrelevant and about what the Foreign Office does when people lose their passports and that sort of thing. At that moment in time we weren’t in the frame of mind to read through pages and pages to find out what the Foreign Office does.” |
| He added: “Then you’ve got the trauma of transferring money over to Germany before anything can be done about repatriating the body … It’s just a nightmare.” | He added: “Then you’ve got the trauma of transferring money over to Germany before anything can be done about repatriating the body … It’s just a nightmare.” |
| Zielezinski was initially going to be charged with manslaughter, on the grounds that he may have been drunk when he killed Holland. The couple, however, found their own lawyer and mounted a campaign to raise the charge to murder. | Zielezinski was initially going to be charged with manslaughter, on the grounds that he may have been drunk when he killed Holland. The couple, however, found their own lawyer and mounted a campaign to raise the charge to murder. |
| During the four-month trial, the couple flew to Berlin on Mondays and returned on Thursdays, staying in hotels. They reported being harassed by neo-Nazi protesters on their way in and out of the courthouse. A Foreign Office official was present for two days of the court case. | During the four-month trial, the couple flew to Berlin on Mondays and returned on Thursdays, staying in hotels. They reported being harassed by neo-Nazi protesters on their way in and out of the courthouse. A Foreign Office official was present for two days of the court case. |
| “Every time we see these news stories and it says ‘the Foreign Office are helping the family’, we just laugh,” said Philip Holland. “It’s not as if they’re overburdened with British people getting murdered in Berlin.” | “Every time we see these news stories and it says ‘the Foreign Office are helping the family’, we just laugh,” said Philip Holland. “It’s not as if they’re overburdened with British people getting murdered in Berlin.” |
| The case of Holland’s murder attracted significant media attention in Germany once it was found that Zielezinski had been linked to the murder of 22-year-old Burak Bektaş, a German of Turkish descent. The Hollands have previously said that, had German police investigated Bektaş’s death properly, their son might still be alive. | The case of Holland’s murder attracted significant media attention in Germany once it was found that Zielezinski had been linked to the murder of 22-year-old Burak Bektaş, a German of Turkish descent. The Hollands have previously said that, had German police investigated Bektaş’s death properly, their son might still be alive. |
| Luke Holland, a trained lawyer, held an MBA from Oxford University and spoke fluent Japanese. He had moved to Berlin to help set up a business that was developing a vibrating music bracelet. | Luke Holland, a trained lawyer, held an MBA from Oxford University and spoke fluent Japanese. He had moved to Berlin to help set up a business that was developing a vibrating music bracelet. |
| Recording a verdict of unlawful killing at an inquest into Holland’s death on Monday, the coroner, Alison Mutch, talked of his “drive and enthusiasm for learning”. | Recording a verdict of unlawful killing at an inquest into Holland’s death on Monday, the coroner, Alison Mutch, talked of his “drive and enthusiasm for learning”. |
| “I am sorry that I never got to meet him,” she said. “He sounded like a very special young man. He will leave a huge gap in your lives and many other people’s lives.” | “I am sorry that I never got to meet him,” she said. “He sounded like a very special young man. He will leave a huge gap in your lives and many other people’s lives.” |
| She paid tribute to his parents, who she said had shown “dogged determination in ensuring that justice was served in the sentencing of the attacker”. | She paid tribute to his parents, who she said had shown “dogged determination in ensuring that justice was served in the sentencing of the attacker”. |
| Speaking to journalists after the inquest, Philip Holland said his son had been brought up to believe “that with happiness, kindness and endeavour, a happy and fruitful life could be achieved”. | Speaking to journalists after the inquest, Philip Holland said his son had been brought up to believe “that with happiness, kindness and endeavour, a happy and fruitful life could be achieved”. |
| “Luke not only believed this, he lived his life to the full like this,” he said. “Luke was my favourite person, not only my son. It is so hard to understand why. An accident, yes, an illness, yes, but a senseless murder, no.” | “Luke not only believed this, he lived his life to the full like this,” he said. “Luke was my favourite person, not only my son. It is so hard to understand why. An accident, yes, an illness, yes, but a senseless murder, no.” |
| A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “Embassy staff have been in touch with Luke Holland’s family to provide support since his tragic death in 2015. We will continue to assist in any way we can.” | A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “Embassy staff have been in touch with Luke Holland’s family to provide support since his tragic death in 2015. We will continue to assist in any way we can.” |
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