Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, has pledged his support for Helen’s Law, which was introduced to Parliament on 15th October 2019.
Included within the Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Bill, which was announced in the Queen’s Speech, this new law is the result of tireless campaigning by Marie McCourt, mother of Helen McCourt who was murdered in 1988 but whose killer has never revealed her body’s location.
The new law will place a legal duty on the Parole Board to consider the cruelty of killers who refuse to give the location of a victim’s remains when assessing their release. The Bill will also apply to paedophiles who take indecent images of children but refuse to disclose their identity and could, therefore, see them locked away for longer.
This new law is also the government’s latest move to overhaul the criminal justice system, following steps to: recruit 20,000 new police officers, invest £2.5 billion in prisons, and review sentencing to protect the public from the most violent and sexual offenders.
Justice Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, said:
“Innocent families should never have their grief compounded by offenders who refuse to disclose information on their victims. Not only will this Bill help prevent the torture of families in Marie’s situation but we also believe evil sexual offenders who refuse to identify victims should face longer behind bars.
“Helen’s Law should send another clear signal that under this government the most violent and sexual offenders can expect to serve sentences that reflect the true severity of their crimes.”
Speaking about this new law, Giles said:
“It is right that we now introduce this law. It cannot be right that loved ones should be forced to endure the anguish of having a loved one killed and then further be denied the dignity of giving them a final resting place. Likewise, parents of children who have been abused in the care of someone else should not have to face the distress not knowing if their child was a victim.
“This government is committed to creating a robust justice system and that is something that I will always support.”