A Canadian man accused of selling lethal substances linked to the deaths of more than 100 British people will not face justice in the UK, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed.
Kenneth Law is expected to make a court appearance in Ontario, Canada, on Friday accused of aiding suicide after allegedly selling 1,200 packages across 40 countries, including the UK.
A probe by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into Canada-based websites selling substances to assist with suicide found that 286 individuals received packages in the UK, leading to 112 deaths.
But despite prosecutors in Ontario bringing Law to court, the NCA and CPS have written to the bereaved families to tell them they would not be seeking to extradite the 60-year-old to the UK after legal proceedings in Canada had ended.
In the letter sent on Thursday, the CPS and NCA also said Canadian authorities had confirmed that Law is expected to plead guilty to charges of aiding suicide there.
The letter – which has been seen by the Press Association – stated: “After careful assessment, we agreed that Mr Law should be sentenced for the full extent of his offending within a single sentencing process in Canada. This approach is not unusual in cases involving serious offending that crosses international borders.
open image in gallery“We recognise that this may be painful to hear, and that some victims and bereaved families may have hoped to see a separate prosecution in England and Wales. This difficult decision was reached only after detailed consideration of all available options.”
The CPS and NCA also said in the letter it had been established that Law sent 330 products to the UK in total.
The families of those who died have now called for a public inquiry. The sister of 21-year-old Aimee Walton, from Southampton, who died in 2022, said that “doors have been shut” for families seeking justice.
“If our own country will not put anyone on trial for these deaths, the very least it can do is hold a proper inquiry into how they were allowed to happen.”
Adele Zeynep Walton said: “The question for our own country is simpler still: who here will examine how the British state let this happen, and what it will do so that no other family goes through it?
“A foreign sentencing hearing cannot answer that. Only a statutory public inquiry can.”
David Parfett, the father of philosophy student Thomas Parfett, who died aged 22 after taking his own life in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, said: “I am angry, but I am not surprised.
“For months, we have been told that the system is working and that existing measures are enough. They are not.
“If our own country will not put anyone on trial for these deaths, the very least it can do is hold a proper inquiry into how they were allowed to happen.”
Law was also investigated by police in the United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.
Andy Burrows, chief executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: “Bereaved families have been campaigning tirelessly to hold Kenneth Law to account in the UK and to be told he will not be prosecuted here on the eve of his court case in Canada is a bitter blow.
“Families up and down the country have been impacted by Law’s crimes and should have the right to full justice in the UK.
“As long as the pro-suicide forum remains online, and while this substance is available in the UK and across borders, more vulnerable people are at risk.”
The CPS and NCA have been approached for comment.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
f you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.