Sarah Everard’s Family Call For Tougher Sentences for Violent Crimes

Tougher Sentences for Violent Crime: A Call from Victims’ Families

Families of victims of violent crime are calling for stricter sentencing measures for violent offenders, urging the justice system to ensure that punishments truly reflect the severity of the crimes committed.

A Demand for Justice

Sarah Everard’s parents, Jeremy and Susan Everard, are among those leading the call for tougher sentences for violent criminals. Their daughter was abducted, raped, and murdered by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021. Couzens received a whole-life sentence, a decision that the Everards believe appropriately reflected the gravity of his crime. However, they fear that not all families receive the same sense of justice.

In a statement, they emphasized the importance of ensuring that sentences are commensurate with the severity of violent crimes.

“It is important that sentences should truly reflect the seriousness of the crime and give victims, their families, and society a sense of justice having been served,” they said.

Justice for Victims

The Everards are now part of a newly-formed campaign group, Justice for Victims, which advocates for sentencing reform. The group was established by families who have lost loved ones to violent crime, aiming to address the widespread concern that violent offenders often receive lenient sentences.

While Couzens’s whole-life order brought some measure of relief to the Everard family, they are aware of other families who were not afforded the same level of judicial acknowledgment. Justice for Victims seeks to change this, promoting legislative reforms that ensure violent criminals face sentences that match the devastating impact of their actions.

The Ongoing Impact of Violent Crime

Paula Hudgell, another prominent member of Justice for Victims, knows firsthand the devastating consequences of violent crime. Her adoptive son, Tony Hudgell, suffered horrific abuse at the hands of his birth parents when he was just 41 days old. The abuse led to severe injuries, resulting in the amputation of both his legs. Despite the life-altering damage caused, the perpetrators were sentenced to only 10 years in prison.

“When criminals abuse children, they create a devastating impact for the rest of that child’s life. Yet perpetrators can be out of prison, living a free life, while the suffering for the victim goes on for decades,” Ms. Hudgell said.

She believes sentences for crimes involving child abuse and violence must be significantly harsher to reflect the enduring trauma inflicted on victims.

Advocating for Stronger Sentencing Policies

Justice for Victims is also supported by individuals like Katie Brett, whose sister Sasha Marsden was murdered at the age of 16. Ms. Brett highlights the unjust reality that many violent offenders serve as little as 15 to 20 years in prison, despite the lifelong suffering they have caused.

“The people who really get the life sentence are families like mine,” she said. “My sister had decades of life ahead of her.”

A Call for Legislative Reform

Criminal law solicitors specializing in violent crime cases often witness the challenges faced by victims’ families seeking justice. Supporting campaigns like Justice for Victims can drive much-needed changes in sentencing laws to ensure that violent criminals receive sentences that genuinely reflect their crimes.

How we can Help

If you have any questions regarding the implications of facing serious charges such as rape or murder, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0161 243 0299 or email us.