Justice Secretary: "We'll support victims"
Published: 09 October 2012
- Date:
- 09 October 2012
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling today said he wanted to send out a message to victims that he would support them.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham Mr Grayling said: "Being confronted by an intruder in your own home is terrifying, and the public should be in no doubt that the law is on their side. That is why I am strengthening the current law. Householders who act instinctively and honestly in self defence are victims of crime and should be treated that way. We need to dispel doubts in this area once and for all."
On the proposed burglary changes Javed khan, Chief Executive of Victim Support said: "We welcome the Government’s commitment to clarify the law on this issue as burglary is a frightening and hugely traumatic crime and many people are concerned about it. Homeowners deserve to know where they stand.
However, our advice is that if anyone ever finds themselves in this situation, they should think 'safety first' and get themselves and their families out of harm's way."
The Justice Secretary also said he would "put the victim and their family first". This includes commitments to cover both punishment and rehabilitation in community sentences, and to tackle re-offending more effectively.
Javed Khan responded to these points by saying: "Victims don't want to see what happened to them happen to anyone else so we warmly welcome these proposals to reduce reoffending."