MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
News Release (007/09) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 26
January 2009
Amended version
Sara Payne has been appointed as the new Victims' Champion,
Justice Secretary Jack Straw, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and
Attorney General Baroness Scotland announced today.
Ms Payne has agreed to take on the post of Victims'
Champion, a new independent public voice for victims of and
witnesses to crime. She will work with existing victims'
groups as well as with the Government's 60 neighbourhood
Crime and Justice Coordinators, based around England and Wales.
In the course of her one year appointment Ms Payne will:
* listen to the views and concerns of victims and witnesses;
* work with and learn from the experience of Victim Support who
provide emotional and practical help to over 1.5 million victims
and witnesses per annum;
* represent the views of victims and witnesses to Ministers,
Government officials and in the media;
* challenge criminal justice agencies further to reform their
practices in relation to victims and witnesses;
* act in an advisory role on victims' issues and prepare the
foundations for the appointment of the Victims' Commissioner
in 2010;
The Victims' Champion will be a time-limited appointment for
one year to enable focus to be given on victims' issues while
Parliament considers proposals in the Coroners and Justice Bill in
relation to the separate office of Victims and Witnesses
Commissioner. That Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on
14 January, and will receive its Second Reading in the House of
Commons today, Monday 26 January.
Sara Payne said:
"Over the last eight years I have been asking for victims to
have a louder voice, and for the Government to listen more closely
to what they have to say. I am proud I will now be their champion,
and welcome my appointment to this very important role. I look
forward to bringing the voice of victims and witnesses to the
heart of Government."
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said:
"Sara's appointment is an important part of the
Government's commitment to deliver a fairer and
better-balanced criminal justice system - appropriately punishing
criminals, offering better support to their victims.
"Victims are the most important people in the criminal
justice system. We must always ensure that their voice is heard
loud and clear by policy-makers and campaigners. I know that Sara
will be an excellent advocate for them. Her job will be to bring
the concerns of victims of crime into sharp focus, making sure
their views are heard when big decisions about policing or the
criminal justice system are made.
"The appointment of a Victims' Champion continues our
drive to put the needs of victims at the heart of the criminal
justice system."
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"I am delighted that Sara has accepted the new post of
Victims' Champion, giving an independent voice to victims of
crime, their families and witnesses.
"Sara has worked tirelessly to help protect children from
predatory sex offenders and played a key role in setting up our
Child Sex Offender Review Pilot. This means that parents, carers
or guardians in pilot areas can now request that an individual who
has access to their child is checked for a record of child sex
offences. I've no doubt she will excel in this new role and
that she will be an excellent Victims' Champion."
Attorney General Baroness Scotland said:
"The appointment of a Victims' Champion will build upon
how we work with, understand and address the needs of victims and witnesses.
"Sara's work will prove to be an integral link between
the criminal justice system and those who are victims of crime. It
will help put the spotlight upon the complexities of these crimes
and better equip prosecutors to provide a better service to
individual victims, their families, and society at large."
Louise Casey, National Crime and Justice Advisor said:
"I am delighted to see that, following on from the
"Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime" review which
recommended that there should be a much stronger public voice on
behalf of victims, Ministers have decided to appoint Sara to the
role of Victims' Champion.
"I look forward to working with her to ensure that
victims' voices are heard loud and clear across the criminal
justice system and by the Government so we have a system that puts
the most important person - the victim - first."
Sara's twelve-month appointment commences today, Monday 26
January 2009.
Parliament is currently reviewing the Government's proposals
for the intended longer term appointment of a Victims'
Commissioner, outlined in the recent Coroners and Justice Bill.
Subject to enactment of this element of the Bill, the Government
expects to be able to begin a full recruitment process for the
post of Victims' Commissioner within one year.
Notes to editors:
Biography: Sara Payne
1. After the murder of her daughter Sarah Payne, Ms Payne started
a campaign to change the way in which sex offenders were dealt
with and supervised in the community. Ms Payne worked closely with
the Home Office on increasing the right of public access to
information about known sex offenders.
2. Ms Payne also supported establishing the Multi Agency
Protection Arrangement (MAPPA) which ensures that a risk
management plan is drawn up for the most serious offenders.
3. Ms Payne currently delivers specialist training to police
Family Liaison Officers and has recently been awarded an MBE for
her services to protection and work with Phoenix.
4. Sara is a patron of the Victims of Crime Trust.
5. Media requests for Sara Payne may be made to the Ministry of
Justice Press Office on 020 3334 3536, to be passed on.
http://www.justice.gov.uk
ENDS