Most famous for her activism against capital punishment, Van der Elst believed that criminals suffered while imprisoned, and did not deserve to be executed for their crimes. She wrote many speeches regarding cruelty towards prisoners, which were projected through loud speakers attached to the back of her infamous yellow and black Rolls Royce. These speeches were a form of protest that occurred outside prisons on the day of an execution. Violet Van der Elst was arrested six times as a result of staging these public protests.
From The Times newspaper
Harlaxton Manor Archives 