Our political system leaves victims battling for justice - Daxa Patel

We have a political system whereby victims are constantly having to battle for justice, even when perpetrators and responsible parties have already been found to be in the wrong. The most recent example is the prospect of early release for two criminals involved in the murder of PC Harper.

It is an indictment on us all. PC Harper’s family have suffered the most heinous possible pain, yet his widow and mother are having to fight again to persuade the Government to stop the release.

The Prime Minister will, I hope, be decisive. He knows the plight of the families of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster. They had to fight for decades to clear the names of loved ones wrongly accused of contributing to or causing the disaster.

Of course, the Prime Minister also has to deal with prison capacity being almost at its maximum. While opposition parties can accuse the Government of failing to get to grips with the problem, the Conservative Party, when in government, bears significant responsibility for the current state of affairs.

But when the media exposes an injustice, there is a tendency to address the issue at surface level. Is it not time to look at the root of the problem?

First is the mentality that seems to accept it as reasonable for victims and their families to fight over and over again, sometimes for years, before there is any formal redress. Closure does not come simply from a criminal conviction. Healing cannot begin if the injustice continues.

Look at the delays in compensation for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal and the infected blood scandal. Add to that the victims of Primodos and the maternity care scandals around the country. The status quo seems to be that we will not act until we have tested the patience of victims and their families to the limit and worn them out in the process.

This is another horrid layer of injustice on top of what is already horrendous.

Then there are Government and public systems that appear not to appreciate the gravity of the situation. Whether it is red tape, inertia, or a lack of appreciation of who these systems are there to serve, the result is the same. Victims are left in an untenable position, emotionally and physically.

Those who commit sexual crimes may serve time in prison, but their victims can be left with a lifetime of scars and fear. We cannot inflict further pain by ignoring their sense of being let down yet again by the state and organisations supposed to protect them.

The recent case in which the police apologised for avoidable killings because they failed to act is another deeply troubling example. We seem to have developed a culture of saying sorry and believing that is enough. It is not.

While no Government can guarantee a crime free society, it can work towards reducing injustice to the lowest possible level. Yet I see little appetite to address these hard facts. Career politicians seem more interested in point scoring than offering viable solutions.

We need to address the factors that put people on the path to crime. We need to invest in rehabilitation to reduce reoffending. Above all, we need to listen to victims first and put them at the heart of the system.

I also have serious concerns about lawyers who contribute to continuing injustice by fighting for individuals whose actions and behaviour have, in my view, forfeited the moral ground. Legal representation is fundamental to justice, but justice cannot become an excuse for avoiding accountability.

The Government, judiciary, and police, along with politicians of all colours, need to look honestly at how their decisions and behaviour can cause further grief to victims and their families. When a young rapist was spared a custodial sentence and the case had to be reviewed by the Supreme Court to change the outcome, it exposed just how unreliable the system can be in protecting those who most need protection.

The uncomfortable truth is this: these issues are too serious to ignore or reduce to political blame. The fact that Nigel Farage can trigger a by-election on a whim is enough to remind us that, for some politicians, public office can appear to be treated as a personal platform rather than public service.

Surface level, knee jerk reactions are not enough.

There may be only a one in a million chance that someone in authority will take the bull by the horns and bring people together across party lines to stop the blame game and find workable, long term solutions. But that one chance is worth pursuing.

In the end, this is not about politics. It is about whether we have the courage to look victims and their families in the eye and say: we have heard you, we have learned from what happened, and we will not make you fight for justice all over again.

That is surely the least they deserve.

Daxa Manhar Patel is a Leadership Coach, author and solicitor