Killers must be forced to face victims' families in court, voters demand in poll
Killers must be forced to face their victims’ families in court when they are sentenced, voters have demanded.
New Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is under pressure to change the law after Thomas Cashman refused to leave his cell when he was sentenced for murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.
Other offenders who have refused to attend sentencing hearings include the murderers of Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa
A poll, conducted for the Mirror by Redfield and Wilton, today shows the public overwhelmingly believe killers should no longer be able to hide from their victims’ families.
More than three-quarters (78%) said they would support convicted criminals being forced to physically attend their sentencing hearings in court.
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Only three per cent said they disagreed.
New Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is under pressure to change the law (Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock)Rishi Sunak has said it is wrong that there are “cowardly people who are not facing up to their actions and not allowing victims' families to have the justice they deserve”.
But his Government has refused to set out plans for changing the law or a timetable for doing so.
The Mirror has launched the Face Justice campaign to call for an urgent change in the law to force killers to face their victims' families.
The sister of murdered teacher Sabina Nessa earlier this month told how her murderer's refusal to attend his sentencing hearing rocked her family.
Jebina Islam, 31, said cowardly Koci Selamaj even snubbed listening to her impact statement via video link from his cell.
Ms Nessa was killed aged 28 by Selamaj in a park at Kidbrooke, South East London, in September 2021.
Former Domino's delivery driver Koci Selamaj was jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years for the murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa (REX/Shutterstock)
Thomas Cashman refused to face the family of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel when he was sentenced to a minimum of 42 years in jail (PA)In an interview with the Mirror, Ms Islam said: "The law needs to be changed as soon as possible because we're now seeing it quite regularly, when defendants don't appear for their sentencing.
“There's a pattern of behaviour now and it's just not fair on families. People are not going to get their loved ones back, I won't get my sister back, but it's something.
"He killed my sister, he murdered her in such a horrific way and simply thought, 'I'm going to stay in my cell.'
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"It was such a kick in the teeth. I felt such anger at what a coward he was.
"He had an option to listen to my victim impact statement via videolink from his cell and he refused that as well.
"It's just about power. He needed that power.
Jebina Islam speaking at a vigil held following the murder of her sister Sabina Nessa (Getty Images)"He still had that choice, that freedom of choice, even at that point. In what world is that fair?
Zara Aleena was killed last June by Jordan McSweeney in Ilford, East London. He also snubbed his sentence hearing.
Her aunt Farah Naz said it left the justice process feeling "incomplete" and added: "We'd wanted to face him when reading our victim impact statements."
Redfield and Wilton interviewed 1,500 adults in Britain online on April 19.
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