A WOMAN who had her complaint against an Evesham town councillor upheld by Wychavon District Council has come forward to say she would like a public apology for all the pain and hurt her family has suffered.
Helena Stephenson alleged Councillor Emma Nishigaki breached the code of conduct through ‘malicious communications and online bullying/harassment’ which was endorsed following a special hearing on Monday, May 19.
A prolonged and detailed examination of Nishigaki’s behaviour following a series of complaints by members of the public were validated in an 18-page report by the authority’s investigating officer.
“It’s horrendous. How many more people have to suffer this? It’s unacceptable. It absolutely brings the office of local government into disrepute.”
“Evesham deserves better than using public office as a place to behave like a schoolground bully,” she said.
Ms Stephenson, a senior director for a London borough council, has never met Nishigaki. She has spoken exclusively to the Observer about the nature of the troubling complaints.
In 2024, the councillor discussed intimate and personal details relating to Helena’s late brother’s death in a private Facebook group then titled ‘Exposing the Truth (A Councillor’s story)’.
Paul Stephenson, from Evesham, died from a drug related overdose in March 2022. Using her online platform, Nishigaki made a series of unfounded claims that he had been bullied into taking his life by a friend of the family and fellow town councillor John Campbell-Muir, the partner of his mum’s close friend.
The unfounded claims relate to a text message conversation between Paul Stephenson and Coun Campbell-Muir 14 months prior to Paul’s death, as documented in Wychavon’s report.
Devastatingly for the family, there was an additional allegation that the deceased was a victim of a serious assault when a teenager which contributed to his death.
“She has used my dead family to further her campaign against Coun Campbell-Muir, has accused me of lying and doctoring evidence.”
“Every time I am required to speak about this it opens up my trauma and grief – I can’t put into words the sadness I feel for what happened with Paul, it will go with me to the grave, “ Ms Stephenson added.
His death had also come just 17 months after the death of her mother, Maggie Stephenson, a former Evesham mayor.
In addition to a fulsome apology, Ms Stephenson wants all the content relating to her family to be deleted off the social media group and for the council to consider the appropriateness of Nishigaki’s contact and representation of vulnerable people.
Evesham Town Council will be discussing how to respond to the report’s recommendations, which include ordering Nishigaki to make an apology and undertake training on council codes of conduct, communication skills, and social media usage, at a meeting on Monday (June 9).
Nishigaki has previously rejected the report findings, saying she would be reporting Wychavon to the Local Government Association for ‘procedural errors’.
“Myself and others are sick and tired of how this person behaves compounded by the fact she is an elected councillor,” added Ms Stephenson.
“The only way to stop her is for the people of Evesham to see for themselves the appalling way she treats people and the lies she tells. It is deeply hurtful.”
“My beautiful mum would expect me to stand up to bullies, and I am doing this in her memory. This behaviour absolutely has to stop.”
