Branded p.1-29 questions

• How do the members of his family react when they find out what Gav is accused of? 

The mother got hysterical - p. 11

The family doesn’t believe that it’s true and they think that the police made a mistake - p. 11

• How is his family treated by the people in the town after Gav is arrested?

They got treated in a negative way like if they were the ones who did it.

Kirsty wasn’t allowed to be with Laura anymore - p. 12

Kirsty was moved in class so that she wouldn’t sit next to Tara - p. 13

Strangers come to their house on Sunday mornings to harass them - p. 14-15

The mother got slapped in her face at a store by some lady - p. 13

• Why do you think people react that way?

Because the people only knew that they were family with him and didn’t know their side of the story. So they couldn’t bee sure if they were part of it or not and with for example Kirsty getting moved in class I think the parents wanted to be safe. 

I think that the media is a big part of it all, it doesn’t include their side of the story and it usually tries to make things into bigger deals then they really are to sell more. The people don’t know if they weren’t part of it or if they knew about it. 

• What is the role of the newspapers in creating this reaction, and why do you think the newspapers are so interested in Gav's family?

I think that the newspaper creates a big part of the peoples reactions since the newspaper isn’t always right and it didn’t know their side of the whole story. There are also a lot of people who read the news.

I think that the newspapers are interested in Gav’s family because the headlines of the murder probably are popular ones and they want good headlines that many people are interested in to sell more newspapers.

• Is it right that the family members of a criminal have to move away and change identities? Could they have dealt with this situation in any other way? 

I don't think that it's right that they had to do that since it's not their fault that he did that and had nothing to do with it.

• They could of tried to get their side of the story out in the media because the people that knew about Gav murdering those girls must have heard that from the media (unless they got to know from somebody else who read the media) and then they would probably also see that article.
• 
  
•  If they'd wait, eventually a lot of the people would probably forget about the situation and go on. 
• 
  
• They could maybe also have stood up for themselves and tried to convince everybody who gave themselves on them that they had nothing to do with it.