Survivors of the Tunisia terror attack say they were forgotten about “as soon as they stepped off the plane”.
Evil Seifeddine Rezgui mercilessly gunned down 38 holidaymakers - 30 of them Brits - in Port El Kantaoui five years ago tomorrow (June 26, 2015).
But those who survived the onslaught still live with daily trauma, and say neither the state nor travel agents have provided adequate support.
Holidaymakers maintain they asked their travel agent repeatedly before going to Tunisia if it was safe, following a recent terror attack on tourists, only to be told they had nothing to worry about.
Brave Nicki Duffield described how she remains unable to move on after witnessing unimaginable horror five years ago, on what should have been a glorious holiday.
She was staying in the five-star Imperial Marhaba Hotel with husband Andy when Rezgui unleashed hell on the resort.
“Because it happened in another country it gets forgotten about and we’ve had no support, we’ve had nothing.” she said.
“Once we stepped off the plane back in Britain there was barely anything - someone from (holiday provider) TUI handed out a letter and that’s all we ever heard from them.
“They appointed some people to give counselling but it was one woman who was having to do the rounds with lots of the victims - there were so many people she had to see.
“Appointments were made and not followed up. That’s all we were ever offered.
“I’ve gone through different types of therapy and counselling and now, five years on, it’s expected my PTSD will probably always be there.
“I’m having to get used to not being the person I was.”
The couple were offered just £2,500 after applying to the Government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, which they turned down as they felt it was an “insult” of an amount.
Nicki suffers from terrifying nightmares where she sees the boyish face of Rezgui, 23 - who was shot dead by police 40 minutes after his attack began.
The former Prison Service administrator has been so traumatised she even sees Rezgui’s face during the day.
She insists she saw him scoping out the resort two days prior to the attack.
Nicki reported it to police once she was back in the UK, but said the counter terror team never got back to her.
“We were beyond scared, it’s impossible to describe,” she said. “It’s changed me as a person and it’s changed my life.”
Nicki struggles with crowds, with noise, and anything on TV that might bring back its memories. “You cannot settle,” says Nicki, who has suffered with anxiety and depression since the tragedy.
“I had a breakdown in January - I don’t like the person I am anymore,” she said.
“There should be something in place for victims of terrorism overseas so that when you land back in your country you can get help.
“We don’t want any kind of recognition but there needs to be something in place. I don’t want others to suffer how we have.
“Mental health and wellbeing is huge at the moment - I’ve watched as Princes Harry and William talk about it on TV but when I see it being spoken about publicly it actually cuts really deep, because we’ve had nothing.
“Surely there should be something in place, between the Government and travel agents, to support holidaymakers caught up in events that will change their lives forever?
“Somewhere along the line someone in Government has to put something forward, a bill of some kind, to help those who have been caught up in something overseas.
“It’s five years on and life is still a real struggle. From other survivors I’ve spoken to, many feel the same.
“So many of us did not receive the support we should have, from what I’ve heard people say.
“Before we went on holiday we were anxious about it being safe, but we were reassured it was.”
They had booked through Thomson Holidays, which rebranded as TUI - its owner - months after the attack.
TUI also co-owned the company that ran the hotel and was responsible for its security provisions, lawyers say.
“I constantly asked them the question if we would be safe and we were told we would be. We were told there would be increased security,” said mum-of-three Nicki, from Watton, Norfolk.
“There was no security at all. Nothing.”
Recalling the horror, Nicki described how they had planned to go to the beach adjoining the complex that day, but, waking up later than anticipated, opted for the pool.
“We were on the outside of the pool and my sunbed was facing the beach,” said Nicki, 55.
“I stood up at about 11.40am with my flip flops on, ready to go to the shop - and then I saw him on the beach. His gun came out from under his umbrella.”
Rezgui, a Tunisian student, pulled a kalashnikov from a parasol and gunned down holidaymakers at will.
“I saw people struggling, falling over each other and scrambling in the sand - it was so soft and so hot,” Nicki said.
“People were trying to get through the gateway and were just falling down in the sand as he moved along.
“It’s so clear to me, it could have been yesterday.”
Andy encouraged her to keep running as they fled for safety amid the carnage, and the pair found refuge in a small shed on a nearby road, and hid underneath a desk together.
“All we could hear was grenades firing, shots and helicopters.”
A group of local gardeners guarding the door for them eventually guided them to a man who led them to hide in the hotel’s laundry room - where they huddled with others, including three young girls.
Nicki helped the girls as Andy, 61, tried to console a woman whose husband had been killed.
After what seemed like an age, a police officer retrieved them and took them to the hotel lobby.
It was a scene of “carnage”, said Nicki, as people tried to find loved ones and injured holidaymakers struggled to make sense of what had happened.
Two days before the attack, she is convinced she saw Rezgui dressed as a member of the hotel staff’s entertainment team, scoping out the beach that would become a bloodbath.
“I saw him two days before, on the Wednesday,” she recalls.
“The entertainment team had red shorts and a white top. I saw him with his hair tied back in a ponytail and he had no logo on his top.
“He went up a stairwell to the indoor swimming pool during the attack. We’d been there a week and had only just found that stairwell and on the day of the attack he knew exactly where it was.
“I’m sure it was him - staking it out.
“On the Wednesday, he didn’t stop or talk to anybody - I just kept seeing him walk around. It’s that face that I still see. It’s always his face.
“I’ve even sat at traffic lights and had a lorry turn into the road where I was waiting - and it was his face that was driving the lorry.
“You wouldn’t believe what your brain does to you after you’ve been through something like that.
“All I want is closure but I don’t think it’s going to happen, or certainly not easily.
“I can honestly say there’s not a day goes by where there’s not something that reminds me of it.
“Five years with that torment. I’m on edge all the time, I cannot relax - I feel mentally exhausted.
“I almost have to be re-trained into enjoying life and being happy as I’ve forgotten how to do it.
“I feel guilty because we survived, and think maybe we could have done more to help people. So many died, and so many have terrible injuries.
“We didn’t have physical wounds - if we did, there’d be there for all to see. But it’s all on the inside.
“Andy saved my life that day. If he had not have been shouting at me and keeping me moving I wouldn’t be here.
“We’ve got each other still, and that’s what’s got us through.”
TUI is still facing legal action.
Many of the bereaved and survivors from the attack are represented by law firm Irwin Mitchell, who allege TUI was responsible for “multiple failures in security measures” at the hotel.
In 2017 an inquest into the deaths of the 30 Brits concluded they were unlawfully killed.
Coroner Nicholas Loraine-Smith rejected calls to rule neglect by TUI or the hotel owners but damages are still being sought.
In 2019 a number of conspirators were jailed in Tunisia for their role in the Sousse attack.
Cheryl Stollery’s husband John, 58, died in the attack. The couple, from Walesby, Notts, were on holiday with their son Matt.
Cheryl has campaigned for lessons to be learned and wants to improve the support available for grieving families.
She said: “I remain as committed as ever to bring about effective change to help all victims and survivors of terrorism but in particular overseas victims.
“These families can often be forgotten as time progresses.
“However, our need for support is quite often more complicated by the nature of the terrorist incident taking place overseas where different laws, languages and customs are in place.”
Cheryl has been working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, charities and campaign groups the Counter-Terrorism Advisory Network and the Counter-Terrorism Victim and Survivors group.
She added: “While time passes our family’s grief for John doesn’t. He was a wonderful husband and father who always wanted the best, not only for our family but others in society through his job as a social worker.
“We are determined to honour his legacy by campaigning for change to create a more tolerant and cohesive society. We never want other families to go through what we have but it’s important that there is better awareness and understanding of the support available to families who may need it if the worst did happen.
“It’s vital to ensure that all agencies and organisations work together to help make a positive change.”
A TUI spokesperson said: “We remain truly saddened by what happened on that fateful day in Sousse in June 2015 when 30 of our customers lost their lives in a terrorist attack which started on a public beach.
“Our thoughts remain with all of those who were affected by the horrific incident. As this is now subject to legal proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
A Government spokesperson said: “Since the terrible attack in Sousse, we have paid over £1m in compensation to those affected.
“However, we recognise that there is always more that can be done to support the victims of terrorist attacks to ensure they get what they need, faster.
“In January, we announced that £500,000 will be made available to increase support for victims of terrorism and that we will be undertaking a review of the services provided.”
