Birkbeck remembers 7/7 London bombings
Birkbeck has remembered the victims of the 7/7 London bombings today, including one of our students.
The deaths of the 52 people who died as a result of the 7/7 London bombings, including one Birkbeck student, have been remembered by the college today.
Members and former members of the college laid a wreath to remember Italian-born Birkbeck student Benedetta Ciaccia, who was studying for a Foundation Degree in Computer Science when she died as a result of the bombing. She was 30 at the time of her death, which – along with two of the bombs exploding such a short distance from Birkbeck – deeply shook the college community.
A memorial to Benedetta lies in Torrington Square, just outside the main entrance to the college.
The wreath was laid as part of a private ceremony, following a wider memorial service in Russell Square led by the Mayor of Camden, Larraine Revah, along with spiritual leaders drawn from the Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths.
As part of the wider ceremony, an imam led prayers for peace and a service to remember the dead, the survivors, the bereaved and the emergency services personnel involved. A former member of staff affected by the bombings, along with the president of the Birkbeck student union, John Linder, were also invited to light a candle in memorial.
As well as a physical memorial, the college – along with Benedetta’s former employer, Pearson publishing - established a living and lasting legacy to remember her in the form of the Benedetta Ciaccia Memorial Fund.
The fund established an annual prize for the Best Final Year Student on the Foundation Degree in IT and continues to be used to assist students who encounter hardship while studying on the same or related courses, with support up to the full fee payable to the College.
Master of Birkbeck, Professor David Latchman CBE, said:
“Benedetta was a student who was passionate about, and excelled in, her studies. Her loss was deeply felt, and continues to be deeply felt, by staff and students across the college.”