Coroner refuses to release name of dog walker, 28, killed by ‘pack’ at Surrey beauty salon after request by her family
A coroner will not release the name of a 28-year-old woman killed by dogs despite a requirement to reveal her identity.
The dog walker died after a frenzied seizure by the fangs at the Gravelly Hill beauty spot in Caterham, Surrey, on Jan. 12.
Eight dogs were seized at the scene, although police confirmed there would be no individual charges.
Surrey’s Coroner’s Court refuses to release the name of the deceased woman until Monday because the “family does not give permission”.
The 28-year-old woman died after the frantic attack on January 12 in Surrey. Police seized eight dogs
An inquest into the dog walker’s death is set for Tuesday, but Surrey’s Coroner’s Court has refused to make her name public
An inquest into her death is scheduled for Tuesday.
Normally, the name and age of the deceased must be made public seven days before an inquest, according to the Justice Department website.
Other details to be included in the inquest list include the date, time, and place of the inquest, the name of the coroner, whether it is a jury trial, and the date and place of death .
Another woman was hospitalized and eight dogs were recovered at the scene after police responded after the attack at 2:45 p.m. Jan. 12.
Beth Grossman, an attorney at Doughty Street Chambers, told The Telegraph that it was “remarkable” that the identity of the dog walker had not been released.
She added that imposing arbitrary restrictions hampered the investigation of serious incidents.
‘Coroner’s courts do not operate according to the same rules of procedure as other parts of the system of courts and tribunals. For members of the public, including survivors who find themselves in this system, it can be difficult and bewildering.”
Other sources agreed that the refusal was “unusual and strange.”
An investigations expert said the only precedent for not disclosing the name of the deceased was for children in care.
The guidelines of the Independent Press Standards Organization say that the death of a person is a public matter.
“Journalists have the basic right to report the fact of someone’s death, even if the next of kin prefer not to report and consider the death private.”
Administrative staff at Surrey’s Coroner’s Court have confirmed that it is standard practice to publish names weeks or even months in advance.
Since the attack, there has been increased concern among dog walking communities, especially since none of the dogs involved were banned breeds.
The attack has also raised questions about the different council rules on the number of dogs one person can walk at a time. Most councils range between four and six dogs.
It is clear that the victim was walking a number of dogs at the time of her death.
A source close to the case told the Daily Mail: ‘She just had too many dogs. With so many dogs you have no control. If something happens, it’s like seven little wolves attacking you.
“The dogs were furious, acting like a pack, going for whatever was in front of them.”
One of the dogs had earlier attacked and bit another woman who was walking her own dog – and she fled, injured.
It is believed that the dead woman was then attacked by the seven or eight dogs she was walking.
When two horsemen encountered the graphic scene, she yelled, “Go back, go back.”
The owners of dogs who kill someone can face up to 14 years in prison or an unlimited fine or both.
And even if there are no deaths, they could still face five years in prison if the animal injures someone.