Ten years ago today Cindy Bennett?s teenage daughter was raped, tortured and stabbed and left to die in agony on a beachside road.

Rebecca Middleton?s brutal, lonely demise hundreds of miles from home sparked an international outcry.

Two suspects were brought in within days yet Bermuda?s legal system was unable to find either guilty of murdering the Canadian teen. While the Middleton family were enveloped in an outpouring of support from a shocked Bermudian public following the tragedy, Bermudian officialdom has piled on one insult after another, from day one.

An inquiry launched partly to find out who was to blame for the legal fiasco failed to find who was responsible for the plea bargain at the heart of it. Meanwhile a senior Government figure publicly said Bermuda owed the Middleton family nothing.

After years of campaigning by the family the Department of Public Prosecutions finally agreed to re-examine the case this year ? only to rule out reopening it under fresh charges.

A scholarship set up in Becky?s memory at Bermuda College from funds raised by well-wishers was left to lie unused for years until prompting from the family finally got it going again.

This summer a tree which had become a shrine to Becky?s memory was removed without warning by the Parks Department. Government has yet to apologise.

And then, just a few weeks ago, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board put a figure on Becky?s life after the family put in a claim for the maximum of $100,000 for pain and suffering.

That figure? Just $2,840.63.

After a decade of hurt all the Bermuda Government was prepared to pay for the cost of Becky?s ticket, the cost of flying her corpse home and sundry expenses such as the flight ticket to watch the failed trial.

A further $3,000 was awarded for the Middleton?s legal costs, far short of what they had spent. Had not their lawyers agreed to wave the rest, the Middletons would have been seriously out of pocket.

While other families of murder victims have been awarded tens of thousands of dollars The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board argued that larger payouts can only go to dependents of victims. Cindy is saddened but not surprised.

For her it was never about the money but for Becky?s memory with the cash bolstering Becky?s Bermuda College scholarship fund.

For her the paltry compensation sum is the same old story.

?No one wants to be responsible. No one took responsibility for screwing up the investigation.

?No one took responsibility for making sure the right charges were laid, no one took responsibility in following through.

?It?s ten years later and they want to sweep it under the carpet.?

All the application did was reopen old wounds as she pressed the case for a pain and suffering award - only to be told that pain and suffering comes with a caveat.

She told The Royal Gazette: ?I think the Board should have been clearer on the ?pain and suffering? ? to me they have just picked cases to suit their purpose.

?It was very difficult to write the letter regarding ?pain and suffering?. I had actually started and then stopped and told my lawyer I couldn?t do it and to forget the whole matter ? but a few months later I buckled down and spilled my guts.?

That letter included the sharp sense of loss a mother feels when her child is taken away from her. She misses Becky?s smile, her hugs and kisses, the voice on the end of her phone, her distinctive laugh.

?When I see a blonde head, I catch myself looking ? hoping to see a glimpse of Becky.?

Today Cindy is just left with her memories of the daughter she sent to Bermuda when she was just a few days shy of her 17th birthday.

Asked how she will be marking today?s sombre anniversary she said: ?I will just have a quiet day, probably have some tears.

?Of course I would like to see justice but we don?t always see justice in our lifetime sometimes but I believe every dog has its day.?

She is glad the case is being pursued by Becky?s father and others.

?I think of Becky everyday ? not a day goes by when I don?t think of her. Her picture is on the fridge right now, where it was before she went away, and it is never coming down.

?We have other family members so we have to keep Becky?s memory alive and give them the love we can?t physically give Becky and protect our family. As far as pursuing it I don?t have any faith in Bermuda at all, literally no faith in the legal system.?