Law Weblog

Sara Payne’s National Victims Service

Saturday 30 January 2010 at 1:50 am | In News | Post Comment The relatives of manslaughter and murder victims have been promised they will be the first to benefit from a new £8m support scheme.

The National Victims Service will offer victims a dedicated support worker to help them get access to any assistance they need.

The service is being created in April following the report from Sara Payne.

The service will make support for victims a “core function” of the criminal justice system rather than an “optional add-on”.

“It is a pity that it has taken the common sense approach of a mother who lost her young daughter in tragic circumstances to tell the government the direction it needed to take on this issue

David Howarth MP

“This re-heated announcement only highlights the gulf between this government’s promises and its action.

However Dominic Grieve MP

“Gordon Brown has let over 70,000 criminals out of jail early, and plans to force through lighter sentences for serious criminals – what kind of justice is that for victims?

Mrs Payne – who is recovering after suffering a brain aneurysm before Christmas – published her report calling for the new service after spending nine months speaking to victims and witnesses and studying front-line services.

Her eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered in 2000 by known paedophile Roy Whiting.