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| Mother of children killed on holiday says Thomas Cook 'abhorrent' | Mother of children killed on holiday says Thomas Cook 'abhorrent' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A mother whose children died in a carbon monoxide leak while on holiday has accused Thomas Cook’s former chief executive of exploiting their memory for “public empathy”. | A mother whose children died in a carbon monoxide leak while on holiday has accused Thomas Cook’s former chief executive of exploiting their memory for “public empathy”. |
| Sharon Wood said Harriet Green had not consulted her or the children’s father before publicly announcing that she would donate a third of a large bonus payment to charity. | Sharon Wood said Harriet Green had not consulted her or the children’s father before publicly announcing that she would donate a third of a large bonus payment to charity. |
| She added that she had only heard Green was due the payment by reading the Sunday newspapers. Wood has consistently accused Thomas Cook of failing to engage with her or Neil Shepherd, her former partner, in the wake of the deaths of their children. | She added that she had only heard Green was due the payment by reading the Sunday newspapers. Wood has consistently accused Thomas Cook of failing to engage with her or Neil Shepherd, her former partner, in the wake of the deaths of their children. |
| “If Harriet Green feels the need to offload some of the money to salve her conscience, that is her decision to make,” Wood said. “To try to gain public empathy by attaching her donation to the memory of our Christi and Bobby I find abhorrent.” | “If Harriet Green feels the need to offload some of the money to salve her conscience, that is her decision to make,” Wood said. “To try to gain public empathy by attaching her donation to the memory of our Christi and Bobby I find abhorrent.” |
| Related: Thomas Cook's Corfu 'apology' smacks of legal meddling | Related: Thomas Cook's Corfu 'apology' smacks of legal meddling |
| Christi and Bobby Shepherd, aged seven and six, were found dead in a bungalow in the grounds of a hotel in Corfu in 2006. They were on a Thomas Cook holiday with Shepherd and his partner, now wife, Ruth when they inhaled fumes from a faulty boiler. | Christi and Bobby Shepherd, aged seven and six, were found dead in a bungalow in the grounds of a hotel in Corfu in 2006. They were on a Thomas Cook holiday with Shepherd and his partner, now wife, Ruth when they inhaled fumes from a faulty boiler. |
| Green, who led Thomas Cook until last year, could receive 6m shares next month, according to reports. On Wednesday, amid a backlash, she said she would give 2m of them to a charity to be chosen by Wood and Shepherd. | |
| But Wood told a press conference in London on Friday morning that Green had publicly announced her charity donation without consulting either her or Shepherd. To suggest that her family had anything to do with it was “simply wrong and I wish to make that clear now”. | |
| “Yet again it appears to us that our family are secondary despite the fact that our children are at the heart of this,” she said. | “Yet again it appears to us that our family are secondary despite the fact that our children are at the heart of this,” she said. |
| Yet again it appears to us that our family are secondary | Yet again it appears to us that our family are secondary |
| It was during Green’s tenure as chief executive that Thomas Cook took legal action against the hotel where Christi and Bobby died and fought to stop inquests into the children’s deaths taking place in the UK. | It was during Green’s tenure as chief executive that Thomas Cook took legal action against the hotel where Christi and Bobby died and fought to stop inquests into the children’s deaths taking place in the UK. |
| She lost that battle, and the holiday firm has been hit by a new wave of public criticism after an inquest jury reached a verdict of unlawful killing and ruled that Thomas Cook had breached its duty of care. | She lost that battle, and the holiday firm has been hit by a new wave of public criticism after an inquest jury reached a verdict of unlawful killing and ruled that Thomas Cook had breached its duty of care. |
| Wood suggested Thomas Cook should “reconsider” handing Green the bonus because the success of a family-friendly company should not just be about money and share prices. | Wood suggested Thomas Cook should “reconsider” handing Green the bonus because the success of a family-friendly company should not just be about money and share prices. |
| “It must also consider the wellbeing and safety of its customers whilst on holiday and the way they are subsequently treated,” she said. | |
| Related: Harriet Green denied bonus by Thomas Cook in 2014 | Related: Harriet Green denied bonus by Thomas Cook in 2014 |
| The size of Green’s bonus is “a matter for her own conscience”, said Wood. | The size of Green’s bonus is “a matter for her own conscience”, said Wood. |
| “Let us not forget that this is the CEO under whose watch Thomas Cook tried to stop the inquest from taking place. An inquest examining health and safety issues,” she said. | “Let us not forget that this is the CEO under whose watch Thomas Cook tried to stop the inquest from taking place. An inquest examining health and safety issues,” she said. |
| “The truth is that, although the deaths did not occur when she was CEO, Harriet Green was in charge for two and a half years, during which time the company refused to speak to us, engage with us, or apologise to us.” | “The truth is that, although the deaths did not occur when she was CEO, Harriet Green was in charge for two and a half years, during which time the company refused to speak to us, engage with us, or apologise to us.” |
| Wood denied Thomas Cook’s claim that Shepherd had received an invitation to a meeting with Green. She said he has still not had a response from her despite writing to her on at least five occasions since July 2013. | Wood denied Thomas Cook’s claim that Shepherd had received an invitation to a meeting with Green. She said he has still not had a response from her despite writing to her on at least five occasions since July 2013. |
| “As for me, Harriet Green has never had the humanity or compassion to write to me as the bereaved mother of Christi and Bobby and, as far as I am aware, she makes no claim to having done this,” Wood said. | “As for me, Harriet Green has never had the humanity or compassion to write to me as the bereaved mother of Christi and Bobby and, as far as I am aware, she makes no claim to having done this,” Wood said. |
| “I would have liked to have met with Harriet Green this week but I have been told that she is out of the country.” | “I would have liked to have met with Harriet Green this week but I have been told that she is out of the country.” |
| Alongside her statement, Wood released a series of furious letters from Shepherd to the now-former CEO Green. She said the letters showed Thomas Cook had failed to consult the family, leaving them feeling “secondary”. | Alongside her statement, Wood released a series of furious letters from Shepherd to the now-former CEO Green. She said the letters showed Thomas Cook had failed to consult the family, leaving them feeling “secondary”. |
| In a July 2013 letter, Shepherd wrote: “The only thoughts and sympathies your company has is on a piece of paper given to the media as a damage-limitation exercise. | In a July 2013 letter, Shepherd wrote: “The only thoughts and sympathies your company has is on a piece of paper given to the media as a damage-limitation exercise. |
| “Due to the fact that we do not have a bottomless pit of money and had run out, we were pushed into accepting a derisory offer due to the Greek economy and the threat of possibly receiving nothing.” | |
| He pointed out that he got “absolutely nothing” from Thomas Cook and had to settle for a partial refund through his travel insurance. | |
| As a grieving parent, he said he had asked for a meeting with the company but sent another letter four months later because he had not received a full reply. | As a grieving parent, he said he had asked for a meeting with the company but sent another letter four months later because he had not received a full reply. |
| Shepherd told the lawyers of his anger that Thomas Cook was issuing “upsetting and inappropriate statements” in September 2013. A month later, there was no personal response from Green. |