I’ll ensure depraved criminals like child murderer and rapist Colin Pitchfork are never freed early
KEEPING the public safe is the number one priority of the Government.
And it is my number one priority.
Parents want to know their kids are safe when they walk home from school.
Women want to know they can get a taxi at night without being preyed upon.
We all want to know that depraved criminals convicted of the worst violent and sexual crimes will be kept behind bars for as long as is necessary.
But unfortunately this confidence in our justice system has been knocked in recent years because of the decision to release two evil men — the black taxi rapist John Worboys and the child murderer and rapist Colin Pitchfork.
Now, it is important to say that the Parole Board makes thousands of decisions to release prisoners every year and 99 per cent of those do not go on to commit serious further offences.
Public outcry
It is not an easy job to decide who should stay locked up behind bars and who should be freed and given another shot at life.
But letting even one offender out of prison who is not safe to be on the streets means they can go on to commit a violent or sexual crime, shattering lives in the process.
And in the cases of Worboys and Pitchfork, the public’s trust in the system took a hit.
Worboys was a predatory rapist who used his position as a trusted cabbie on London’s streets to prowl for victims.
He was jailed for attacking a dozen women. Police say he may have over 100 victims.
The decision to release him rightly sparked a public outcry and was reversed.
Pitchfork savagely raped and murdered two girls in the 1980s.
He was released in June 2021 but within two months was back in prison because he breached the terms of his licence.
This shows that he was not rehabilitated and was not safe to release.
This is why we are changing the law to create more safe-guards to stop dangerous killers walking free and better protect the public.
These raft of reforms are coming to Parliament tomorrow through our Victims And Prisoners Bill.
This Bill will do a number of things.
First, a new “public protection” test will be enshrined in law.
This will make it clear that no criminal should be allowed out of prison unless the parole board is satisfied they are no longer a danger to the public.
Second, we will recruit more police officers to sit on parole boards.
They will use their formidable experience and wisdom from a life catching criminals to make sure offenders who still pose a risk stay banged up.
Third, we will introduce a ministerial check on the release of the worst criminals convicted of the four most heinous offences; murder, rape, terrorism and killing a child.
This is another check, another safeguard, which will keep the public safe.
Fourth, we are ending the ridiculous farce of murderers sentenced to Whole Life Orders getting married behind bars.
Serial killers like Levi Bellfield robbed his victims of the chance to ever walk down the aisle.
It is grotesque for victims’ families to think of killers enjoying their big day while in prison.
So we are putting a stop to it.
Through this Bill we will also stand up for victims, ensuring that they are listened to, supported and treated with dignity as their case progresses through the justice system.
I have seen first-hand the courage of victims coming forward to help put criminals behind bars.
But too often victims have been treated as spectators rather than placed at the heart of the justice process.
We will change that by putting the principles of the Victim’s Code into law.
For the first time, victims will have a new legal right to know how their cases are progressing, if their attacker is due for release or parole and, if they are a foreign offender, when they will be deported.
Agencies that are failing victims can face inspections until they raise their game.
Before I became an MP I was a criminal barrister.
I spent my entire legal career striving to ensure that trials are fair, victims are heard and dangerous criminals are brought to justice.
I have prosecuted terrorists, rapists and murderers.
I passionately believe that our courts are the best in the world and uphold British values of fairness while keeping the public safe.
Victims listened to
And as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, I feel that duty to deliver justice for victims more than ever.
I know that the criminal justice system relies on the public’s confidence.
The confidence to come forward and report a crime.
The confidence that victims will be listened to and receive support.
The confidence that those who are proven to have robbed innocence, betrayed trust and destroyed lives will be punished and the public protected.
I know there have been occasions in recent years when some Sun on Sunday readers will have wondered whose side the system is on.
These reforms will help answer those doubts. They protect the public, so Brits can sleep better at night.
They place victims at the heart of the process, so people have confidence in our courts and law enforcement.
And they will ensure attackers like Worboys and Pitchfork are not released if they are still a threat to the public.
As Justice Secretary I promised Sun on Sunday readers to leave no stone unturned in protecting the safety of you and your families.