Few of us have ever had to call on the kind of strength that Linda McDonald possesses.
And we should all give thanks for that.
The Dundee grandmother survived a savaged attack at the hands of a convicted murderer in 2017.
Robbie McIntosh bludgeoned her with a dumbell in Dundee’s Templeton woods, stopping only when he was disturbed by dog walkers.
The killer was serving a life sentence for the murder of another woman in 2001 and was on home leave from low security Castle Huntly prison when he battered Linda to within an inch of her life.
McIntosh left her for dead that day.
But his brutality was no match for her extraordinary spirit.
And only the most foolhardy gambler would bet against her achieving the goal she has now set herself.
Justice 4 Linda is fighting for change
Her Justice 4 Linda campaign is seeking to address the events that led to her attack and to prevent others from suffering the trauma she still lives with today.
She wants more stringent monitoring for high-risk individuals and official recognition of the “grave errors” that almost cost her her life.
Linda McDonald reveals parole board letter she sent in bid to keep Dundee Law killer Robbie McIntosh behind bars… https://t.co/7pmYurMf14 via @thecourieruk
— David Clegg (@davieclegg) May 27, 2022
It is an admirable target for a woman who has more than earned the right to a peaceful existence.
And it is a travesty that she feels she is still having to fight for answers five years after she started asking the questions.
But Linda McDonald is no quitter. She has demonstrated that.
And the authorities would be well advised to sit up and take note of what the Justice 4 Linda campaign is seeking to achieve.
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