Cowardly offenders who fail to attend their sentencing hearings could be placed in solitary confinement in jail or face other sanctions such as having their access to the gym cut
Vile criminals who refuse to face justice will be punished with up to an extra two years in prison, an unlimited fine or prison sanctions.
Cowardly offenders who fail to attend their sentencing hearings could be placed in solitary confinement in jail or face other sanctions such as having their access to the gym or work programmes slashed.
Those who are disruptive during their sentencing hearings – such as Southport killer Axel Rudakubana – will also face the same punishments. Victims’ Minister Alex Davies-Jones told The Mirror “justice is not optional” and that offenders must “face up to the horrific crimes that they’ve done”.
The move is a huge victory for grieving families who have fiercely campaigned on the issue after despicable criminals who destroyed their lives refused to face justice. It is also a win for The Mirror, which launched the Face Justice campaign calling for a change in the law.
READ MORE: Mum of murdered Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 9, tears up as Keir Starmer makes promise to her in PMQs
Labour’s Victims and Courts Bill, which is expected to be introduced this week, will give judges a power in law to order offenders of all crimes in the Crown Court to attend their sentencing hearing. The legislation has been strengthened since the Tories proposed a version, which they later ditched when the general election was called.
The Conservatives’ plan only applied in cases where the maximum sentence was life imprisonment and only included the penalty of extra prison time. Labour ministers have added further punishments as they acknowledge that extra jail time is not a threat to a criminal who is already facing life in custody.
Among bereaved relatives who have campaigned is Cheryl Korbel, the mum of nine-year-old Olivia, who was killed by drug dealer Thomas Cashman when she was caught in a crossfire in her home in Liverpool, in August 2022. Cheryl Korbel has been campaigning for ‘Olivia’s Law’ to force offenders to face justice after her daughter’s cowardly killer refused to leave his cell for his sentencing hearing.
Farah Naz, the aunt of murdered law graduate Zara Aleena, has also called for a change in the law, having said she wanted killer Jordan McSweeney to hear in person how he “completely destroyed” them after he refused to attend court.
Others who have campaigned on the issue include Ayse Hussein, whose cousin Jan Mustafa was murdered, and Jebina Yasmin Islam, whose sister Sabina Nessa was also murdered. They were also both denied the opportunity to see their loved ones’ evil killers face justice.
During sentencing hearings, victims or their families can read personal statements where they are able to describe, in their own words, how the crime has affected them, physically, emotionally, financially, or otherwise. It gives them a voice in the criminal justice process and it can play a part in sentencing at court.
Prison officers will be able to use “reasonable force” to bring offenders to the dock. If they still refuse to attend, there is the option to force them to watch or listen to the sentencing hearing in a video suite in jail to ensure they still hear the impact of their crimes, as well as facing punishments.
In an interview with The Mirror, Ms Davies-Jones said: “I pay immense tribute to Cheryl Korbel, Olivia’s mum, the family of Jan Mustafa, Zara Aleena, Sabina Nessa and countless others. And the Mirror’s campaign as well, in terms of holding government to account to make sure that we bring in this new measure so that families can see justice being done.”
She added: “Justice is not optional. Victims deserve to see justice being done, and the perpetrators should have to face their victims and face up to their crimes. “They deserve to look the victims and their families in the eyes and face up to the horrific crimes that they’ve done.”
Asked what her personal message is to the families who have campaigned, Ms Davies-Jones told them: “Thank you for all of the work that you’ve done. I know it’s taken an immense personal, emotional toll on you, and it’s been a privilege to work with you to make sure that we get this right for you, and so that we have a legacy to the victims, and so that what has happened to them sadly, and their families, won’t happen to any other.”
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