Grieving mother told to 'pay to find how your son died'

Andrew Watt, 31, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was found dead on a country road near Vimarce in the Mayenne, France, on September 8 2010.

His mother Julie Sheppard believes his death was caused by the medication he was taking but her requests for information has been repeatedly denied by French authorities.

She was told she needed to pay €350 (£292) an hour to fund a French lawyer to look into the case, which she argues is "discrimination against all but the most wealthy."

"It's very frustrating as it shows how elitist the system is," she told the Morning Star.

"The British embassy could do nothing, the French authorities could do nothing and I could do nothing because I cannot afford to pay a French lawyer for long enough to find out any information about what happened to my son.

"Durham coroners looking into the case have also been denied witness statements from France. If they haven't got anything to hide then why are they denying basic information about my son and fobbing us off?

"The British embassy might be good if you lose your passport but it seems to be completely useless in dealing with more serious things that could happen to anyone while abroad."

Ms Sheppard argues there should be a mechanism in place to protect those who face sky-high legal costs from incidents that happen abroad because the embassy is unable to investigate cases.

She has been in contact with a victim support group in France to seek help that "nobody else will give me."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "Consular staff in Paris and London have done and continue to do all they can to assist Mr Watt's family.

"Consular staff cannot provide funds to pay repatriation expenses in the absence of insurance, nor can they get involved in the judicial procedures of foreign countries.

"Where families have concerns about the cause of a death we always advise that they seek professional legal advice - as we have to Mr Watt's family.

"Our thoughts remain with Mr Watt's family and we continue to provide them with appropriate consular assistance."

willstone@peoples-press.com