Debbie leads support for victims of injustice

MP Debbie Abrahams has led the first-ever parliamentary seminar on supporting families of murder victims who believe they have experienced an unjust acquittal.

The seminar, organised by the support group Justice After Acquittal (JAA), brought together MPs, victims’ families and legal experts to hear how national minimum standards of support drawn up by JAA could be implemented.

Mrs Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth said: “It’s extremely important the families of victims of murder are not abandoned should defendants be acquitted. We heard heart-breaking testimony from families about the pain experienced after an acquittal and the lack of support.”

Following the JAA’s work the Crown Prosecution Service now offers a meeting with victims’ families within three weeks of an acquittal and keeps in touch for three months.

“Police services from across the country need to engage with victims’ families after an acquittal and explain both the review process and what constitutes new evidence, to enable a further trial. There is some good practice, but it is patchy across the country,” said the MP.

The JAA Steering Group was founded in 2006 by Carole Longe and Ann Roberts. Both women lost family members through murder and the defendents were acquitted. The group campaigns for national minimum standards of support.