Marienna Pope-Weidemann

Marienna is a social justice advocate and writer. She led the Justice For Gaia campaign and now works with the Gemini Project. She is also writing The State of Britain Is Killing Us, collecting the stories of changemakers who lost loved ones in state custody or care.

<p>Despite consistent pleas for support, in two years Gaia spent less than 30 days under the care of community mental health services</p>

My cousin was raped, then neglected by those supposed to keep her safe

The year she died, Gaia learned the perpetrator was being released early from prison, having been convicted for further sex offences

My cousin died after her rape allegation was treated with indifference

Ninety-seven per cent of medical staff and two-thirds of the nurses who have died from Covid-19 are from BAME backgrounds

The government's reputation matters more than justice for NHS staff