RICHARD KEMP FROM GOSPORT AND ISLE OF WIGHT SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR MURDER OF DANISH STUDENT

In a tragic case that shocked the community, Richard Kemp, a 53-year-old handyman from Gosport, Hampshire, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of a young Danish girl on the Isle of Wight. The victim, Camilla Petersen, a 15-year-old student from Holbaek, was visiting England on a three-week exchange program when her life was tragically cut short.

Camilla's body was discovered at Brading Down, a scenic location near Sandown known for its natural beauty and popularity among hikers and sketched artists. She had gone there to indulge in her passion for drawing, unaware that her life was about to be violently taken. The case drew widespread media attention, especially after Kemp's own confessions revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior.

Richard Kemp, who worked as a handyman at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport and was also a volunteer with the Salvation Army, had a long and troubling history of offenses involving children. His criminal record includes a conviction for indecent exposure in 1970, which was followed by an eight-year detention at Broadmoor Hospital for sexually assaulting minors. He was convicted again for indecent exposure in 1982, after which he remained under psychiatric supervision for an additional five years.

Despite his criminal past, Kemp continued to live a solitary lifestyle, working at the museum and making little effort to establish social connections. Around 18 months prior to the tragic incident involving Camilla, Kemp disclosed during psychiatric interviews that his behavior had regressed. He admitted to engaging in public masturbation and walking naked in woodland areas, indicating a worsening of his mental health and behavioral issues.

On the day of the murder, Kemp traveled to the Isle of Wight, ostensibly to continue his habit of walking naked in the countryside. However, he was unable to explain why he had killed Camilla in his subsequent confession letters. In these letters, he expressed confusion and remorse, stating, "I do not know why, she was alone, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Why I murdered her I do not know, I could have let her go but didn’t. She was a nice intelligent girl, beautiful in fact. I wasn’t even sexually aroused."

His actions and confessions led to a conviction at Winchester Crown Court, where Mr. Justice Richard Gibbs described Kemp as a “serious and homicidal danger to children and young people.” The judge emphasized that Kemp was unlikely to ever be released from prison, given the severity of his crimes and his dangerous mental state. The case has left a lasting impact on the local communities of Gosport and the Isle of Wight, highlighting the tragic consequences of untreated mental health issues and a troubled past.