Son of Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe’s first victim forgives killer for murdering his mum Wilma McCann
Richard McCann has decided to forgive killer after hearing a sermon by South African archbishop Desmond Tutu
THE Yorkshire Ripper has been forgiven by his first victim’s son.
Wilma McCann, 28, was murdered by Peter Sutcliffe as she walked home in Leeds in October 1975.
The mum of four died on son Richard’s sixth birthday.
As a boy, Richard was terrified his mother’s killer could come back for him. He went off the rails and in 1997 got six months’ jail for drug dealing.
Eldest sister Sonia later killed herself over the nightmare.
But Richard, now 46, has told a TV programme that he has since forgiven the Ripper, who went on to kill 12 more women.
He told Aled Jones, presenter of BBC1’s Going Back, Giving Back: “I absolutely forgive him. I used to be angry but not any more. It’s not there — I let it go.”
Ten years ago Richard claimed he could never forgive jailed Sutcliffe, now 70.
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But his change of heart came after he heard South African churchman Desmond Tutu talk about forgiveness at a meeting. Richard, now a dad of three, said: “I realised I had held on to that anger for decades.
“I let it go that day. I felt a realisation I had that ability and power to let that go and forgive. I absolutely forgive him.”