Sex abuse sufferer instructed of ’empowering’ message after horrific 4-week trial
Justice Minister Jake Richards writes for The Mirror after it was announced victims will be able to access crown court sentencing remarks for free – and he tells Sarah’s story
“She said ‘the Judge’s words were so empowering, so validating”(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The Sentencing Bill reaches its conclusion in the House of Commons this week.
This legislation will primarily ease the crisis in our prisons, inherited after 14 years of Tory failure – with our prison system on the brink of collapse. But this Bill isn’t just about fixing the Tories’ mess; we are also strengthening vital protections for victims. Today, the government can announce that for the first time all victims will be able to access sentencing remarks from the crown court for free. This is a major change that many victims’ groups have championed for years and goes further than the recommendation set out in the Gauke review. It is yet more evidence that improving victim rights is at the heart of this government’s agenda.
READ MORE: Labour vows to end scandal which forces rape victims to pay £20,000 for court documents
Alongside the biggest prison-building programme since the Victorian era, this sentencing bill begins to stabilise a prison system wholly vandalised by the Tories. But we have been more ambitious, bolstering protections for victims too.
A similar approach will be taken to our court reform programme: fixing the unprecedented backlog which grew under the Tories and making vital changes to ensure the system delivers justice for victims in the long-term. This agenda compliments the government’s Violence against Women and Girls Strategy – with the ambitious goal of halving incidents in a decade. The government have announced specialist rape units in every force across the country to offer a better service as victims of rape strive for justice.
We have invested £550million in the Victims Support Fund and providing £20million to specialist frontline organisations. We are introducing dedicated referral services through GPs, connecting victims with specialist local support, alongside up to £50million in trauma-informed care for child abuse survivors. Cutting crime, reducing reoffending and protecting victims, whilst fixing the dreadful Tory inheritance. These are the principles that inform our justice reform agenda. The Sentencing Bill – and the new measure to provide all victims with free sentencing transcripts – is symptomatic of this approach.
