Help My Sister and Brother-in-Law Rebuild After a Devastating Arson Attack

I never imagined that I would have to write something like this about my own sister.

On 1 October at approximately 3:09am, my older sister, her husband and their cat, Sandra, were woken from their sleep in the most horrific and terrifying circumstances imaginable.

Their home, the place where they should have felt safest, was deliberately targeted in the middle of the night. CCTV footage shows two individuals approaching the property carrying what appears to be petrol and a machete or similar weapon. A window was smashed, petrol was poured inside the house and the outside of the property, their vehicles and the exit routes were covered in petrol, including the front entrance, kitchen door and back garden door. The property was then set on fire before the individuals fled the scene.

They could have lost their lives.

My sister woke after hearing an enormous bang. Her husband checked the doorbell camera and saw someone at the property pouring what appeared to be petrol around their home. He immediately ran downstairs. By the time he reached the front door, it was already on fire.

He tried desperately to reach the back door and put out the flames. At that moment, a neighbour shouted for them to move away because their car was at serious risk of potentially exploding. They were trapped in a terrifying situation, surrounded by flames and with their home covered in petrol.

Thankfully, the petrol poured inside the house did not fully ignite in the way it could have. My sister and her husband were able to escape without serious physical injuries, but the outcome could have been unimaginably different.

Firefighters arrived and instructed them to leave the property. They were eventually sitting inside a fire service vehicle, watching their home surrounded by emergency services, flames, smoke and completely unsure of what would happen next. During the chaos, their cat, Sandra, was also missing. After approximately an hour, she was found, extremely frightened and shaken but thankfully alive.

The police also attended, took statements and carried out an investigation, remaining at the scene until approximately 3pm in case the arsonists were to return to complete what they had started.

The aftermath

As her sister, it is heart-breaking to see the effect this has had on them. They are devastated. They are frightened and they are struggling to process how someone could deliberately and maliciously target their home while they were asleep inside. Their home was supposed to be their safe place. That sense of safety has now been taken away from them. Every unexpected noise is frightening. Sleeping has become difficult. Going outside feels different. They are afraid to close their eyes, afraid to leave the house and terrified that the people responsible may still be out there.

This was not simply damage to a building. It was an attack on their sense of security, their belongings, their home and their lives. They are now facing the financial impact too

Sadly, they did not have active home insurance at the time of this incident. This means they are facing the financial consequences without the protection that many people would normally have followed a devastating fire. Their home has been damaged, their vehicles have been affected and many everyday belongings have been lost or compromised. There are now significant unexpected costs involved in making the property safe, repairing the damage, replacing essential items and improving security. At the same time, they are trying to cope with the emotional trauma of what happened.

They should never have had to face this alone.

We need answers

There is also a wider concern that we cannot ignore. Given the circumstances surrounding the attack, we are deeply concerned that this may have been racially motivated. We do not want to speculate or make accusations before the investigation establishes the facts, but we believe it is important to raise awareness of this possibility and ensure that the circumstances are taken seriously.

The deliberate use of petrol, the smashing of a window and the setting of a family home on fire in the middle of the night are incredibly serious. If this was motivated by race or hatred, it is not simply an attack on one family. It is a reminder of the fear and vulnerability that minority communities can experience when their homes and safety are targeted. We desperately want those responsible to be identified and held accountable and their motivations understood.

CCTV footage is available and we hope it will assist the police investigation. We are appealing to anyone in the Dundee area who may have doorbell, CCTV or dashcam footage from around the time of the incident, or any information about the individuals responsible, to contact Police Scotland immediately.

Please do not approach anyone yourself.

How your support will help

I am setting up this fundraiser because my sister and her husband need help getting back on their feet and rebuilding the safety that was taken from them.

They never expected to have to ask strangers for help. They never imagined that they would wake up in the middle of the night to someone attempting to set their home on fire. And they never imagined that the place they called home would suddenly become somewhere they were afraid to sleep.

Every donation, no matter how small, will help them begin rebuilding.

Funds raised will help towards:

* Repairing and securing their home

* Replacing essential belongings that have been damaged or lost

* Addressing damage to their vehicles

* Improving doors, cameras and other security measures

* Making the property safe and habitable again

* Covering unexpected costs following the fire

* Helping them begin to rebuild their lives after this traumatic experience

We understand that not everyone is able to donate, and there is absolutely no pressure to do so.

If you cannot donate, please share this fundraiser.

A single share could help us reach someone who can make a meaningful difference.

My sister has always been there for me, and it breaks my heart to see her and her husband living in fear in the one place where they were supposed to feel safe.

As her sister, all I want is for them to feel safe again.

They deserve to sleep in their own home without fear.

They deserve answers.

And they deserve the opportunity to rebuild what was taken from them.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who donates, shares this fundraiser, sends a message of support or simply takes the time to read their story.

Your kindness could help my sister and her husband through one of the darkest experiences of their lives.

Thank you.