Justice for Victims said the public is too often given ‘the false assurance some of the most dangerous criminals will be locked away for life, when that is not the case’
Sarah Everard’s parents and other bereaved families are calling for “life sentences” to have their name changed unless they mean a life in jail.
Campaign group Justice for Victims said the public is too often given “the false assurance some of the most dangerous criminals will be locked away for life, when that is not the case”.
It is calling on MPs to make changes to the Sentencing Bill, which is currently going through parliamentary scrutiny.
“Life sentences don’t mean life. So stop calling them as such,” they said. “As a group, we are advocating for the term ‘life sentence’ to only be used when it really means a whole life order, a life behind bars.”
Sarah, 33, was murdered in 2021 by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens. He was sentenced to a whole-life term, meaning he will never be released from prison, except in exceptional circumstances.
READ MORE: Family of Sarah Everard murdered by police officer slams major jail change plans
The campaign group also includes Katie Brett, whose 16-year-old sister Sasha was raped and stabbed to death and Glenn and Becky Youens, whose four-year-old daughter Violet-Grace was killed by a hit and run driver.
Paula Hudgell, whose adopted son Tony had his legs amputated as a result of child cruelty by his birth parents, is also part of the group, as well as Ayse Hussein whose cousin Jan Mustafa was murdered.
Among other demands to MPs, the bereaved relatives called for stronger rights for victims to be notified and involved in decisions about an offender’s supervision, release or licence conditions.
And they want a child cruelty register to be introduced to ensure those convicted of child cruelty “never work with young people or be able to care for their own children”.
The Ministry of Justice today said thousands more children will be protected from vile sex offenders under amendments to the Victims and Courts Bill.
The new measures, introduced to Parliament tomorrow, will see parental responsibility automatically restricted in cases of children born of rape, and when a parent is convicted of serious sex offences against any child.
This means a parent can no longer take active steps in their child’s life, including making decisions over their schooling, medical care or trips abroad.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, said: “Automatically restricting parental responsibility in cases of rape where it has led to the birth of a child and serious child sexual offences sends a clear message: the rights and safety of children come first.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “The government inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse. Our sentencing reforms will ensure the most dangerous offenders remain locked up — backed by the biggest ever expansion in tagging and the use of restriction zones to better protect victims.
“The most serious offenders – those on life sentences, IPP, and extended determinate sentences – will not be affected by the Sentencing Bill at all.”
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