Latest news with #OliviaLaw
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Olivia's Law: Mum backs sanctions for killers who skip sentencing
Plans to stop prison visits for criminals who refuse to attend their sentencing hearing have been supported by the mother of a murdered nine-year-old Korbel, whose daughter Olivia Pratt-Korbel was fatally shot by Thomas Cashman in Dovecot, Liverpool, in August 2022, said: "If we want to see our loved ones, we have to visit a cemetery but they still have the right to see their family."Cashman refused to attend court to be sentenced in April 2023, prompting Olivia's family to campaign for a change in the Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised Ms Korbel, saying her determination to bring about change would be "heard by the whole world". Olivia was fatally shot by Cashman when he chased a fellow drug dealer into her home on 22 August Law is part of the Victims and Courts Bill which is progressing through Parliament. It would mean that criminals who refuse to attend sentencing, or disrupt hearings in England and Wales, could face an additional two years in prison as well as other sanctions, including missing out on family Korbel told BBC Radio Merseyside: "If we want to see our loved ones that aren't here anymore we have to go to a cemetery, but they still have the right to see their family. "If they are going to object to coming up (for sentencing) then that sanction should be put in place."The proposed legislation had its second reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday. Her MP Anneliese Midgley, who represents Knowsley, spoke in the speech included the victim impact statement which Ms Korbel read at Cashman's sentencing hearing, despite him not being in court to hear Korbel and her cousin Antonia Elverson were also present for Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, where Midgley asked the Starmer to commit Olivia's Law to the statue books "as soon as possible".Starmer welcomed Olivia's family to the House of Commons before adding: "I am always humbled by those with the courage to respond to appalling heartbreak by campaigning for change and I know the whole house will pay tribute to her extraordinary courage and resolve."He thanked Midgley for reading Ms Korbel's victim impact statement "because I know from talking to Cheryl how hard it was for her to make in the first place". The prime minister went on: "It took a huge amount of courage and grief, and she wanted to read that statement to the perpetrator as she should have been able to do, and I know how visceral the pain is to her of not being able to have done so." Starmer said: "Cowards who commit these heinous crimes should face the consequences of their actions and that's why we will force offenders to attend sentencing hearings." 'So poignant' Midgley said she wanted to read the statement in full to ensure the words were forever recorded in Hansard, the Parliamentary record."They were words she was denied saying to the murderer of her child in court, and spearheaded her campaign to get the law changed," said the Labour MP, adding that she hoped it would bring Ms Korbel "a sense of justice" that "she was denied". Ms Korbel said hearing her words read in Parliament had been "one of the hardest moments" of her campaign. Ms Elverson said: "It's so poignant because those words are going to go down in history. "They will be there for anyone to research and when we are gone for our family to look back on." She said it had been "really difficult" because "it did take us back" to the time of Cashman's said there were provisions in the Bill which would mean that, as well as having their sentence extended, offenders who refused to attend sentencing hearings could face unlimited fines and lose privileges including family visits and social said the Bill had received cross-party support from more scrutiny, the draft law will return to the Commons for a third and final reading. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
We welcome Government's action of giving longer sentences to convicts who refuse to face victims' families
Justice seen VIOLENT criminals should never have been given the right to skulk in a cell as the judge passes sentence. For too long vile killers have insulted their victims' families by denying them a chance to look in their eyes as they face justice. 1 So we welcome the Government's belated action to stop them exploiting this loophole by giving judges power to give longer sentences, or a tougher prison regime, for convicts who refuse to stand in the dock. It is a victory for the mother of murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who has campaigned to create 'Olivia's Law' to prevent murderers from refusing to attend sentencing. Sadly, the crackdown comes too late for Olivia's parents, or many other grieving families who were denied the chance to make killers listen to their harrowing statements. Many will wonder why ministers didn't go further still and change the law so cowardly convicts can be dragged kicking and screaming into the dock if necessary. Border panic TWO thirds of voters who switched to Reform in last week's local elections say they did so out of concern about Britain's porous borders, costing Labour and the Tories 833 council seats. Cue panic in the Government ranks. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is now working up plans to restrict work and student visas from countries with high rates of asylum claims, including Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. small boat migrants. Together these two groups account for 70 per cent of asylum claims. Nearly 10,000 asylum claimants who arrived on work or study visas were living in hotels or other taxpayer-funded accommodation at some point last year. Crossbow killer Kyle Clifford will die behind bars after he was handed a whole life order for murdering a BBC star's family and raping his ex These are shocking statistics and Ms Cooper is right to act. But how long before activist lawyers — already protesting about potential discrimination — try to thwart or delay her efforts in the courts? Indian taxaway Ministers say it will boost our economy by £4.8billion a year, add £2.2billion to wages and give a huge boost to producers of whisky, chocolate, medical devices and cars. But, as the Tories quickly pointed out, Keir Starmer's 'two-tier' agreement will also give Indian workers based in the UK tax breaks denied to British staff.
