Q: Abby (Facebook) – I was absolutely horrified watching this programme. British immigration officials are responsible for sending this poor woman back to torture. How do officials make their decisions? What are these decisions based on? How much credit do immigration officials give organisations like the Medical Foundation?

A: Francesco – I think a lot of us were horrified, Abby. Only Mary and her legal representative will know the details, but it did mention ‘credibility’ on the programme so we can only assume that the officials didn’t believe what Mary told them about how she came to have her horrific scars. Although the UKBA sees the Medical Foundation as experts, they will still make their own decision. We do feel sometimes that people are asked for proof of their experiences when that’s just not possible most of the time.