My sister, 7, was murdered before I could ever meet her… the killer was never caught & I feel guilty I couldn’t save her

WALKING to school on a freezing January morning, 13-year-old Vickie Robertson was stopped in her tracks by the image of a smiling little girl. Pinned to a lamppost was a police poster asking for information about the murder of seven-year-old Stacey Queripel, whose body had been found dumped in nearby woodland. But as Vickie stared at the photograph, she felt a connection she couldn’t explain. Stacey Queripel was murdered aged 7 in 1993 – and her killer has never been caught Credit: Vagner Vidal Vickie Robertson has been battling for answers for 33 years Credit: Dan Charity Stacey had vanished from her family home in the Ladybank area of Bracknell, Berkshire, at around 5.30pm on January 24, 1993. Following a missing person’s report, a police dog handler discovered her body just two hours later near the town’s South Hill Park. A post-mortem examination confirmed Stacey had been brutally strangled and a manhunt was launched to find her killer. But as Vickie, now 47, looked more closely at the picture, her heart hit her stomach. “I just looked at the picture and I was like, I think that’s my sister. And I just kind of knew in my heart,” she says. “As weird as it sounds, even as a 13-year-old I knew – I don’t know if it was something on a cellular level.” Ten years, earlier at the age of three, Vickie had been removed from her dysfunctional family. She knew that her birth mother, Gilliane, had gone on to start a new relationship and had another daughter. Stacey as a baby holding a photo of her estranged older sister Vickie Credit: Vickie Robertson Vickie, pictured here as a teenager, never met Stacey despite both living in the same town Credit: Vickie Robertson She had been told the little girl was called Stacey, but the sisters had never met, as contact with her birth mother had been largely cut off, despite them both continuing to live in the same town. Vickie says: “The poster was on every lamppost, every bus stop – there were literally thousands of them, it was my whole walk to school.” Worried she’d sound “nuts” if she told anyone, she waited until she got home that afternoon to inform her adopted mum of her suspicions, who then called the police. Initially they were reassured the murdered girl wasn’t her sister, but Vickie still believed in her gut it was. Then, the following week, two police officers arrived at her house and confirmed it was in fact her sister. “Lo and behold, it was confirmed,” said Vickie. “By then it had been a couple of weeks since Stacey’s murder and I hadn’t been contacted.” As the hunt for Stacey’s killer continued, her story dominated the news and Vickie couldn’t escape seeing the headlines. But she felt a confusing mix of guilt for grieving for someone she didn’t ever know, and sadness that she was robbed of one day having a relationship with her sister. Domestic abuse - how to get help DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence. Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship: Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten. Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent. If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers: The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night Men who are being abused can call Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244 Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring Galop on 0800 999 5428 If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999 Remember, you are not alone. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime. Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse. “It was, ‘Am I even entitled to say anything?’ Because I haven’t had that experience with her – and I still have that feeling of imposter syndrome,” Vickie says. “I didn’t want people being like, ‘Who the hell does she think she is? She’s not even family.’ “When I tried to explain how I felt at the time, people looked at me like I was mad. Some weren’t very nice to me about it all and I was picked on by people at school. “Also, I just felt massive guilt. Huge guilt. Like really that should have been me. I should have been there to protect her. “So I’ve grown up with what I know now as survivor guilt because it was really hard as a 13-year-old to process.” Stacey’s death had such an impact on Vickie that at the age of 15 she tried to take her own life. “Everything at that point was just all too much,” she says. “I just wanted to be with her, which sounds very deep, dark and pessimistic. “But at that time, that’s how my mind was. It’s hard to navigate. Who can navigate something like that? It’s unheard of really.” Vickie, pictured here aged 7 or 8, was adopted as a toddler before her sister was born Credit: Vickie Robertson Vickie rang Thames Valley Police every year for two decades asking for updates on the case Credit: Dan Charity During the police investigation, Stacey and Vickie’s mum Gilliane was questioned extensively by detectives, with forensic tests showing dirt on her shoes matched the soil in the woodland where Stacey’s body was found. However, she was ultimately released without charge. And while a 1994 inquest detailed a volatile and abusive home environment with the coroner ruling Stacey’s death as an “unlawful killing”, it was noted it was “beyond belief” Gilliane had committed the crime based on the evidence available. And 33 years later, the case still remains unsolved. You're Not Alone EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858 Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk HUMEN www.wearehumen.org Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123 Vickie struggled with her identity having been adopted at such a young age Credit: Vickie Robertson However, Vickie is refusing to give up on hope of getting justice for her little sister. “I spent about 20 years of my life every year ringing up Thames Valley Police asking if there’s any update – or if the case can be re-opened,” she says. “However, each time I was told, ‘No, but hopefully next year.’ “I just got tired of that and thought, ‘This is crazy’. The longer it goes on, the less chance that we might see prosecution.” In 2023, with the support of former Bracknell MP James Sunderland, a formal cold case review was opened. Investigating teams have been utilising modern, advanced forensic technology that didn’t exist in 1993, and are appealing for the public to come forward with any new information. At the end of last year, Vickie also launched a parliamentary petition for Stacey’s Law, which will require police forces in England and Wales to review serious cold cases within five to 10 years of the crime taking place. She says: “There’s no national guidance. Some forces seem to already do this. Kaleidoscopic UK – supporting children and adults who have been exposed to domestic abuse In 2019, Vickie also launched Kaleidoscopic UK, a registered charity based in Wokingham, Berkshire, designed as a “by and for” organisation run almost entirely by survivors, for survivors of domestic abuse in all its forms. The charity bridges severe gaps in traditional support services and systematic family court issues. Vickie had been removed from a volatile family environment as a toddler and later navigated a 13-year abusive adult relationship after finding a stark lack of professional training and understanding across the judicial system. She told The Sun: “Kaleidoscopic UK is a really poignant name. It’s a mouthful. Most people shorten it to kaleidoscope, but it’s actually kaleidoscopic. “It’s the viewpoint down a kaleidoscope. So meaning that through turning the lens on domestic abuse, you can change your colours and patterns and find beautiful new things out of the broken pieces.” She went on to say: “The abuse changes us, but it doesn’t have to define who we are. I’m a big believer in actually there are so many positive things out there. “Obviously, domestic abuse has a hideous impact and it’s horrible to live through, but so often we don’t focus on how do we get people from that space, from surviving to thriving? “That’s what the charity is about. “We’ve seen with Stacey’s story, obviously how 33 years of waiting doesn’t sit right with me. “I don’t like injustice of any kind, and I just wanted to create something for everybody.” “I don’t think five to 10 years is unrealistic for serious cold case reviews. “Thirty-three years for any family in any situation like this is just far too long. “Also, the evidence is a lot older and even with new technologies there’s still going to be issues with that. Plus people’s memories can fade or become distorted over time. “The longer it goes on, the less chance there is. “However I will do everything I can to bring my sister’s killer to justice and to stop other families going through what I have.” To see Vickie’s petition click here.