Ray's story: An enduring fight for justice
Dive into the compelling and heartbreaking story of Ray Gilbert. Discover the truth behind a profound miscarriage of justice that robbed him of 36 years of his life, and understand the relentless battle he has fought for 45 years to clear his name. His journey serves as a powerful reminder that injustice can happen to anyone, and that the fight for truth must never cease.
A confession under duress
In 1981, during a period of intense racial tension in Liverpool that culminated in notorious riots, Ray Gilbert found himself a victim of a system under pressure. Coerced through threats of violence and potentially death, he was forced into a false confession. This harrowing experience highlights how easily innocent individuals, particularly black people, were arrested and remanded on a whim during that turbulent time.
An alibi demolished
One of the most crucial elements of Ray's defence was his alibi, a witness who could confirm his whereabouts. However, after police forced a confession from Ray, this witness was also arrested. Spending a week on remand, she was pressured to change her story, thereby demolishing Ray's alibi. To secure her release, she was compelled to lie, contradicting her previous statement which had perfectly matched Ray's account that he was half an hour's walk away.
A narrative built on falsehoods
Ray's story is particularly powerful due to his vulnerability at the time. Alarmingly, 'facts' only appeared in his statements after the police had learned them, strongly suggesting that information was fed to Ray. The entire narrative against him was false, crafted through late-night and early-morning interviews where police assumptions and fabricated details were subtly turned into Ray's own words, twisting the truth to fit their agenda.
"Ray Gilbert's story is a stark reminder that injustice can happen to anyone. His 45-year fight for truth demands our attention and support for all those who suffer miscarriages of justice. There are far too many."
The Ray Gilbert - 36 Years campaign