Luton-born Natalie Crichlow (44) was the victim of a severe attack while looking after her disabled brother in Christ Church, Barbados. Crichlow was strangled by an unidentified intruder before being doused in flammable liquid and set alight as she lay in bed.

Suffering from 75% burns to her body, Crichlow managed to flee to the garden. She nonetheless died of related injuries in hospital on August 6, nine days after the unforgivable attack.

Her children, aged 10, 20 and 26 are “shocked and devasted” by her death. They have pledged a GoFundMe page to raise enough money to transport their mother’s body back to Britain for a burial surrounded by family and friends.

“Natalie left behind her eldest daughter and two sons who desperately want to bring her home to say goodbye and lay her to rest peacefully,” the page states.

Crichlow, nicknamed Karma, was an openly queer woman and “beloved member of the LGBT+ community” who “would regularly attend LGBT+ events in London and beyond,” says family friend Mitra Wikes. “The whole community is shocked and devastated at her cruel murder and have all come together during this tragic time,” Wikes continued.

@miaamormottley if it sounds like a murder + a hate crime, it's likely to be murder + a hate crime. Pls do all you can to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted. Only transparency and honesty will get justice. #NatalieCrichlow #Barbados#Murderhttps://t.co/A9Bc5SzNUE

— Luke 🇪🇺 💚🌹🏳️‍🌈 🇺🇦 (@Labour_Luke) August 14, 2019

She described Crichlow as “a true survivor and warrior who endured so much in life but always kept going and had a true passion for living life to the max no matter what she had gone through.”

Natalie Crichlow, a make-up artist and bouncer, was a two-time cancer survivor and had suffered from two strokes previously. She would visit Barbados four times a year to aid her disabled brother.

“For someone who had battled through so much to just be taken in this way and lose their life is just beyond understanding,” her niece Ashley Best explained. “She said she wanted to live life to the fullest because her life had nearly been taken from her.”

Best and other members of Crichlow’s family are concerned that the death is not being treated as a murder investigation by the Royal Barbados Police, who have made no arrests. However, a spokesperson for the British Foreign Office has stated that “Our staff are supporting the family of a British woman following her death in Barbados, and are in contact with the Barbados police force.”