Today, I published a new Victims Law to put their needs and voice firmly at the heart of the justice system.
Figures show that three in five victims don’t report their crimes and a third drop out of a prosecution before justice is done.
For the first time, a duty will be placed on prosecutors to meet victims in certain cases before trial in order to hear their views. Victims will also be given the right to attend Parole Board hearings in full and to submit questions during the process – such as querying an offender’s suitability for release. The Parole Board will be required to consider victims’ views and concerns before making a decision in a case.
Criminals will also be forced to pay more towards crucial victim services such as rape support centres with a 20 percent increase to the Victim Surcharge that will raise an extra £20 million by 2025. This penalty fee is imposed on offenders when they are sentenced for crimes, to ensure they take responsibility for their actions and pay back to society by contributing to services which support victims.
Our new Victims’ Bill will make criminals pay more to help victims, and keep dangerous offenders off our streets.
You can read my article in the Daily Mail on my plan to put victims at the heart of the justice system here.