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Relentless campaigner became the town's first lady

14/11/2007

CHARLOTTE Kiszko’s long battle to clear her son’s name made her the town’s first lady.

In April 1993 she was named as the Rochdale Woman of the Year – becoming the first person to win the award.

She received the silver rosebowl during the lunch held at the Avant Hotel in Oldham from one of the guest speakers, Dame Wendy Mitchell the deputy chairman of the Women’s Nationwide Cancer Control Campaign.

A member of the organising committee said she had been the unanimous choice from 49 nominations.

The new first lady said she was ‘speechless’ but managed to say: “I only did what every mother would do. Anybody would do the same.”

Stefan was proud of his mother’s success.

Indeed he insisted she kept the rosebowl wrapped in protective polythene in their display cabinet so it could be passed onto the next year’s winner in pristine condition.

NOT surpisingly, perhaps, the case of Stefan Kiszko attracted the attention of the entertainment world.

The play ‘Ivan, a miscarriage of justice’ was put on at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, by ebor productions in February and March 1997.

In March 1998 the BBC programme ‘Esther’ – hosted by Esther Rantzen – put the spotlight on the case.

The following year the ITV film ‘A Life for a Life’ told the story of Stefan and his ordeal.

He was played by Tony Maudsley while Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis played Charlotte.

It proved a success, winning best writer and best network newcomer awards at the 1999 Royal Television Society Awards and being nominated for a Bafta and Priz Italia Award.