Always an empty space': The heartbreak of Christmas without a missing loved one

"From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging."

"Peter Boxell remembers 25 December 1988 as a day spent clinging to hope, desperately willing his son Lee to come home. Attempting to will that hope into reality, he laid a place at the table for him. But as darkness fell, the devastating realisation crept in that Lee would not be coming home. He still hasn't. I had hoped Lee might come home or we might hear from him obviously I wanted him to come home for Christmas, Mr Boxell told The Independent."

The Independent reports from the ground on issues including reproductive rights, climate change and Big Tech, investigating matters such as Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC and producing the documentary 'The A Word' about American women fighting for reproductive rights. The outlet refuses to use paywalls, relying on donations to fund journalists and keep reporting freely accessible. The SafeCall Christmas campaign aims to raise £165,000 to launch a national lifeline for missing young people with the charity Missing People. The piece recounts Peter Boxell laying a Christmas place for his missing son Lee and urges donations by text or online.

Read at www.independent.co.uk