Christopher Donovan

04 / 06 / 1982  -  26 / 05 / 2001

The Chris Donovan Trust is a non-profit charitable organisation set up by Vi and Ray Donovan who in 2001 experienced the tragic loss of their son Chris through unprovoked  violence.

Using their own devastating experience they want to help educate people about the impact of crime on the victim, their family and wider society.

They do so by sharing their story and experience to a wide audience including students, criminal justice professionals, victims of crime and offenders.

Their talk will give you an emotional and real picture of how horrific violent crime is. You will be captivated by the Donovan’s who talked about respect not being gained through violence but by being true to yourself, thinking about your actions and ultimately through forgiveness.

They will take you on a journey with them; from the night they were told their son had been senselessly murdered by three teenagers to ten years later when they met the offenders.

Restorative justice finally gave Vi and Ray a voice and enabled them to meet the offenders and ask ‘’why?’A question that the Criminal justice System couldn’t answer.

Vi and Ray do not sugar coat their loss or experiences; they opened up their hearts. They talk about how Crime has a ripple effect and one action can affect so many people, and after hearing their story ‘You now become now part of that Ripple’.

Ray and Vi have made a documentary called: The Absolute Truth.  It tells their story from the time the police rang their door bell to inform Ray and Vi that Chris was serious injured in Epsom hospital, to meeting the people that killed Chris a few years later.

Please click here to watch their story