The mum of a murdered teen from Wiltshire says Netflix’s Adolescence ‘forgets about the victim’ – but hopes it will spark more conversations.
Carole Gould, 54, lost her daughter, Ellie, 17, when she was stabbed to death at her home in Calne Thomas Griffiths, then also 17, in 2019.
The schoolboy felt scorned when Ellie ended their relationship so she could focus on her education in May 2019.
Griffiths then stabbed the teen to death at her home near Calne, Wilts., before going on to stage the crime scene to appear as suicide and returning to school.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years and six months imprisonment after pleading guilty to murder at Bristol Crown Court in November 2019.
Carole believes the Netflix series Adolescence is “a bit one sided”, with little details about the victim or their family.
The show tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who stabbed a girl to death after she rejected him romantically.
The drama raises conversations around social media and ‘incel’ culture but ultimately Carole feels there is never an “excuse for a violent attack”.
Carole said: “I understand how social media can have a huge influence with people’s lives. When you see the clip of the boy stabbing her – it’s totally premeditated.
“It’s a violent attack – and there is no excuse for that behaviour.”
The show portrays a ‘normal family’ and purposely looks at the impact on the family of the accused.
But Carole would have hoped for more mention of the victim.
Carole said: “There is no mention of the victim. It was all about them and their grief.
“If it had been my son I’d have been devastated for the victim’s family. It would have been good to see that conversation.
“It felt a bit one-sided. The only positive is it will make parents talk. I hope a lot of parents will now speak to their children and ask ‘what are you looking at?’ or ‘how do you feel about that programme?'”
The drama tries to show why the boy commits this awful act but Carole feels it is down to his “wiring”.
She said: “Young children know right from wrong. We can’t make excuses for male violence. Watching that scene with the psychiatrist was quite alarming. She looked quite scared.
“He’s a very dangerous young man. Some of that is the wiring in his brain. That behaviour doesn’t come from nowhere.
“He must have displayed traits in the home. We can’t diminish the crime itself.
“To be capable of that at age 13 – you’ve got to be a psychopath. Nothing justifies taking someone else’s life.”
