Latest news with #JanMustafa
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
My niece, Zara Aleena, was murdered – now Starmer's told me how he'll halve violence against women and girls
Three years ago, my niece, Zara Aleena, was murdered on her way home from a night out in East London by a high-risk offender who should have been in prison. Her brutal murder could have been prevented if it weren't for failures by police, prison and probation services which resulted in the catastrophic early release of a man whose risk to the public was inaccurately assessed. Since then, alongside the families of other murdered women, I have campaigned against violence against women and girls, against the systems that fail women and girls – and against a culture that tolerates this violence. It is not often that families like ours are invited into the heart of government, but a week ago we were invited to No 10, bringing with us the grief of our families and the hope that no other family should have to endure what we have. I stood alongside Jebina Islam, the sister of Sabina Nessa (a murdered woman) and Ayse Husain, cousin of Jan Mustafa (a murdered woman), having been invited by the prime minister to meet face to face; not as campaigners, but as women carrying the lived reality of loss – and the determination to turn that loss into change. This crucial meeting with the prime minister came just a week after a vigil for Zara, which was attended by the minister for victims and violence against women and girls, Alex Davies-Jones and the health secretary Wes Streeting. It was a significant moment. When we stand together, we are no longer alone in our grief – we are together in our protest, in our call for change. Walking beside us, they joined our families and our community in protest and highlighted a leadership willing to stand in the hard places and face what we are not yet getting right. Our meeting with Keir Starmer further underscored the government's recognition of the issue. Davies-Jones and Claire Waxman, the London Victims' Commissioner, joined us in the room. Together, we spoke openly about the painful experience of perpetrators refusing to face sentencing – a cruel injustice that leaves victims' families with yet another absence, another silence, another failure of accountability. The prime minister listened. Calm, reflective, and open. He did not rush us. What was scheduled as a 30-minute meeting stretched to a full hour. And in that hour, we saw not a polished influencer or soundbite politician, but a leader who is willing to hear hard truths and to build change. We spoke about the Victims and Courts Bill, a critical step forward in compelling offenders to face the courts and the people they've harmed, and Starmer invited us to attend the Bill's third reading – the final stage of the legislative process – and one we hope symbolises the shift toward centering victims in the justice process. But beyond what is already happening, I asked for what we still need. I asked for the government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls within 10 years a cross-party mission, so it lasts beyond elections and outlives political cycles. He agreed. I asked for the government's commitment to make tackling violence against women and girls a responsibility shared across every government department, not just the Home Office, because safety must be woven into the fabric of government itself. He told us that work to embed this is already underway. I also presented my proposal for a Good Samaritan Law – a law that would create a duty to assist or report when someone is in danger. Similar laws already exist in Germany, Portugal and France. The idea is simple: if someone is in serious danger and you can safely help or call for help, you should. The prime minister agreed to consider the proposal and invited me to return in six months to discuss progress on everything we discussed. Since Zara's death, I have met with several ministers who have given me their condolences and their sorrow, and it was heartfelt, but this meeting stood out. It gives us all reason for hope. Hope because the prime minister spoke not of vague intentions, but of cultural change, where the voices of victims are no longer an afterthought but the heart of justice. Hope because we no longer have to fight alone. Of course, this government is by no means perfect. Serious cuts continue to compromise efforts to end violence against women and girls. Without proper investment, early intervention will remain an afterthought. But last week, the families invited to Downing Street saw the potential for something different: a government willing to be held to account. A leader willing to listen. It's not shiny politics. There are no fast answers. But it is real leadership. It is now on all of us to make sure these commitments turn into action. I look forward to returning to Downing Street to discuss progress – for Zara, for Sabina, for Jan – and for every woman and girl.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Sex beast killed my cousin & hid her in freezer… why is Starmer ignoring grieving families to let predators out early?
I KNOW one day my cousin's murderer will probably be getting out of prison and going back to his family. But Jan is never coming back home to ours. 9 9 9 My cousin Jan Mustafa, a 38-year-old mother to a then 11-year-old girl, was brutally murdered by a serial serious sexual and violent offender, Zahid Younis. After killing her, he callously kept her body in a freezer in his east London flat for a year alongside another victim he'd murdered - Henriett Szucs. Evidence showed both women had been subjected to very significant violence before their deaths, and Younis was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum jail term of 38 years. Nothing can bring our beautiful Jan back, and the impact of her loss has affected us all in so many ways. But we have to start listening to the views of all victims and the public on what justice means. The Independent Sentencing Review, released this week, was a real opportunity to change that. But Ex- Tory minister David Gauke - the person who led the review - refused to meet us. Mr Gauke's proposals, accepted by the government to free up 10,000 cells in Britain's overrun jails, will see some killers and rapists eligible for release after serving just half of their sentence, rather than two thirds. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is also looking at plans to make chemical castration mandatory for paedophiles and rapists. Other criminals on Standard Determinate Sentences with earlier release points can be freed after just a third of their time if they demonstrate good behaviour. Parents of murdered Sarah Everard plea for more whole-life jail terms for worst offenders 9 9 9 9 But it is hard to believe letting serious offenders like rapists and child abusers out of prison earlier is what victims and their families want. In fact, across the hundreds of pages of the report, there is no discussion at all about what victims and their families might consider to be justice. Of course victims and families shouldn't dictate that, but surely they should be at the heart of that decision? 'Collateral damage' I joined others in forming the Justice for Victims Campaign group because everything I experienced after Jan's murder taught me that victims and their families are not at the heart of the justice system in the way they should be. My co-founders have all had direct experience of serious sexual and violent crime. Jeremy and Susan Everard, the parents of 33-year-old Sarah Everard who was abducted whilst walking home, raped and murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens. Katie Brett, whose 16-year-old sister Sasha was raped and stabbed more than 100 times by her killer before he set her body on fire. Paula Hudgell OBE, who campaigns on behalf of her adopted son Tony, who lost his lower legs as a result of child cruelty at the hands of his birth mother. Becky and Glen Youens, whose four-year-old daughter Violet Grace was killed by a dangerous driver who spent barely more time in prison than their daughter was alive. It is hard to believe letting serious offenders like rapists and child abusers out of prison earlier is what victims and their families want Ayse Hussein Our campaign group is focused on sentencing and ensuring it delivers true justice for victims and their families. We welcome the investment to create new prison places - and of course, offenders leading troubled lives of addiction and mental health issues can sometimes be better off outside of prison. But the victims and families of the worst offenders shouldn't be collateral damage as part of a desire to do more to help those people turn their lives around. Our group will be working with MPs in coming months to make sure they aren't. We aren't getting justice often enough, so please, listen, learn and treat us all the same. Give us what our loved ones deserve. That requires punishment that fits the crime. 9 9 'Insult' The term 'life sentence' is an insult and often gets reported as 'jailed for life'. But it doesn't mean that at all. There are lots of groups that meet with MPs and talk to the media about all the reasons why criminals should spend less time in prison. We aren't against those who can be reformed receiving help, and we recognise that prison isn't always the best place to do that. But some people cross a line - and when they do, we have to make sure that justice is served. I would encourage everyone who agrees with us to contact their MP and make our voices heard. We are up against it and need your support to make the changes. We need to ensure all victims get true justice, and that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes that have so brutally damaged our families truly get what they deserve. Plans to dramatically reduce number of people being locked up in major shake-up THE Independent Sentencing Review has laid out a major shake-up of the justice system - with plans to dramatically reduce the number of people being locked up. The Independent Sentencing Review has laid out a major shake-up of the justice system - with plans to dramatically reduce the number of people being locked up. The move comes after the prison population soared past 87,000, with jails nearly running out of space last year. One of the most controversial proposals is a ban on short jail terms under 12 months, except in what it calls 'exceptional circumstances'. Nearly 45,000 people were jailed for less than a year in the past 12 months alone - but under the new proposals, many would instead be handed so-called tougher community sentences. These include curfews, unpaid work, or being forced to undergo rehab for drugs, alcohol or mental health problems. The plans also push for new types of punishment, including bans from football matches - even for crimes that have nothing to do with football - and restrictions on social media use, particularly in cybercrime cases. These measures, which are usually just bolt-ons to prison sentences, could now be used as punishments in their own right, without any jail time at all. The review also calls for a new 'Probation Requirement' to replace the current rehabilitation rules. It says this would give probation officers more power to tailor punishments and support to each individual - from mental health support to being tagged and tracked in the community. But it admits this would place even more pressure on a probation system already stretched thin. There are also plans to extend suspended sentence rules, meaning some offenders facing up to three years behind bars could now stay in the community instead - as long as they stay out of trouble. Another major change is the introduction of a new 'earned progression' system. Under this plan, prisoners serving standard determinate sentences could be released after serving just a third of their time behind bars, as long as they behave well and take part in work, education or treatment programmes. Those who fail to meet the standards would stay locked up until halfway through.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Criminals who skip sentencing could face two more years in jail
Criminals who skip sentencing could face two more years in jail under new bill Jebina Yasmin Islam (right) has campaigned for changes to the law, after the killer of her sister Sabina Nessa refused to attend sentencing All of their loved ones' killers did not attend their sentencing hearings, prompting calls to change the law. "It is not about punishment through force - but about ensuring that perpetrators cannot remove themselves from the consequences of their actions," said the families of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, law graduate Zara Aleena and mother-of-three Jan Mustafa. Additional powers for judges to punish offenders absent from sentencing will mean they cannot "opt out" of justice, victims' families have said. Criminals who refuse to attend sentencing in England and Wales could face an additional two years in prison, under a new bill to be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday. The bill will only become law once it has been approved by MPs and the House of Lords. Powers already exist to compel people to attend court but they are often not used. New measures under the Victims and Courts Bill could apply to any case in the Crown Court, including those who attend proceedings but are removed from court for disruptive behaviour - like Southport killer Axel Rudakubana. Offenders already facing whole life orders could be confined to their cells and be stripped of privileges, like extra gym time, under the new bill. In a joint statement, the victims' families said the development was a "step in the right direction, and that new punishments indicated "this change is being taken seriously". "It gives families a moment of recognition and a form of reparation. It is a moment of reckoning for the convicted," they added. In January, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised to follow through on the legislation - initiated by the previous Conservative government - after meeting Cheryl Korbel. Her daughter, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, was shot dead in her home in August 2022, aged nine. Thomas Cashman, the gunman who killed Olivia, did not attend court to be jailed for 42 years. Anneliese Midgley, Ms Korbel's MP, said: "This law is down in no small part to my constituent Cheryl Korbel. I am so proud of her." "Sentencing is not just a legal formality; it is the culmination of justice. That's why it's so important that justice is not only done, but seen to be done." Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said: "I would like to thank the remarkable families of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Jan Mustafa, Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena and countless others who have campaigned tirelessly for offenders to have to face the reality of their crimes by attending their sentencing." "Justice isn't optional - we'll make sure criminals face their victims," she added.
Sky News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
More jail time for criminals who refuse to attend sentencing hearings
Criminals who refuse to attend their sentencing hearings will face further punishment under a new law. The government is introducing the Victims and Courts Bill to parliament today, which will include more jail time or loss of privileges in prison in England and Wales for criminals who refuse to attend court for sentencing. Several high-profile offenders have refused to face victims' families, sparking a public outcry and calls for a change in the law. The families of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, law graduate Zara Aleena and mother-of-three Jan Mustafa have all campaigned for the change after their killers were absent from sentencing hearings. Ms Nessa's sister, Jebina Islam, Ms Aleena's aunt, Farah Naz, and Ms Mustafa's cousin, Ayse Hussein, said: "This move holds offenders to account. "It sends a clear and necessary message: the justice system is not something you should be able to opt out of. "It is not about punishment through force - but about ensuring that perpetrators cannot remove themselves from the consequences of their actions." They said the legislation is a "step in the right direction" and the proposed punishments indicate it is "being taken seriously". The trio added: "This change supports victims and society alike. It shows justice being done. "It gives families a moment of recognition and a form of reparation. It is a moment of reckoning for the convicted." Under the new legislation, judges will be able to sentence offenders for up to two more years in prison for avoiding justice. Those already facing lengthy imprisonment or whole life orders could have a range of prison punishments, such as confinement to their cells and being stripped of privileges, such as extra gym time. Former Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak had pledged to change the law after meeting the mother of murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, and Sir Keir Starmer promised to enact it. Thomas Cashman, the gunman who killed Olivia as he chased a drug dealer who had run into her Liverpool home, did not appear in court to hear his life sentence in April 2023. Earlier this year, triple crossbow and knife killer Kyle Clifford refused to attend his sentencing when he received a whole life order. Southport child murderer Axel Rudakubana was removed from his sentencing hearing for repeatedly shouting in January. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said: "I would like to thank the remarkable families of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Jan Mustafa, Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena and countless others who have campaigned tirelessly for offenders to have to face the reality of their crimes by attending their sentencing. "Justice isn't optional - we'll make sure criminals face their victims." The bill also says it will restrict parental responsibility from child sex offenders who commit serious crimes against their own children. The powers of the Victims' Commissioner will also be strengthened to require them to produce an independent report on whether agencies are meeting their statutory duty over the Victim's Code to hold the government to account. Child protection charity the NSPCC backed the move, saying they hope it will improve how young victims and survivors are treated, but said it was "not a complete solution".
