Judicial system owes Sophie’s family strongest possible voice
IT is impossible to imagine what life has been like for the family of Sophie Lancaster in the nine years since her brutal and terrifying death.
Sophie, as is well known, was battered to death in Stubbylee Park in Bacup in 2007, simply because she was dressed as a Goth.
She had stepped in after a gang had set upon her boyfriend Robert Maltby in the park.
Sophie was stamped on and kicked repeatedly and died from her injuries 12 days later.
Ryan Herbert, who was 15 at the time, admitted her murder and was jailed for 18 years, which was reduced by two years for pleading guilty and by a further nine months after an application to the court of appeal.
He was one of two teens found guilty of murdering Sophie.
All too often, the justice system lets victims and the relatives of victims down in the months and years after sentencing when appeals take place, or applications to parole boards.
Two years ago, it was revealed that another of the teenagers jailed at the time – one of three who were convicted of grievous bodily harm – had been released and a condition on his release licence banning him from Rossendale had been lifted, despite representations from Sophie’s family opposing the move.
Last week it emerged that Herbert had tried to get his jail term cut – because he felt he was making ‘exceptional and unforeseen progress during sentence.’
That certainly appears to be the case – but to be quite frank, from a very low starting point.
After being jailed, he behaved badly, the parole board was told, and got into fights and even attacked staff.
But in recent years, he has buckled down, got a job in prison, taken GCSEs in maths and business studies and started the first year of an Open University degree.
All well and good – but not enough to warrant a reduction in prison sentence in the eyes of the parole system or, I would suspect, in the eyes of many people here in Rossendale who remember the horror of the attack on Sophie and Robert only too well.
If we are to have any confidence in the legal system, we have to know that when justice is served, it is also delivered.
I think it’s fair to assume at the age of 15 teenagers can be expected to know right from wrong, and that a sustained attack which involved kicking and beating someone until they are unconscious is not the actions of someone who should be allowed on our streets.
All too often, the judicial system gets criticised for not remembering the actions of criminals before they were sentenced, but not in this case.
Mr Justice Langstaff, hearing the case, pointed out that: “One of the disturbing features of the attack is that the group of assailants immediately afterwards behaved as if they were proud of what they had done, almost boasting of it.”
It is a sad fact that the legal system is set up in a way which means families and victims will find themselves on the edge of legal arguments many years after a sentencing, and all too often, they feel ignored.
It is encouraging, and even reassuring, that in this case, the judge’s views reflect those of Sophie’s mother Sylvia.
It is not just a cliché to say that relatives of people murdered are given life sentences too.
Life changes when such barbaric events take place, and it is important as a society we never forget that.
All because a gang of teenagers decided they didn’t like how he and his girlfriend dressed in a park in Bacup.
The judicial system must never forget the brutality of the attack which took a precious life, and changed many more for the worse.
The work done by Sophie’s family and friends, led by mother Sylvia, to raise awareness of hate crimes against alternative subcultures in the years since her death have ensured a lasting legacy for Sophie, and has had a positive impact on society generally.
To that end, I think the judicial system owes Sylvia and her family the strongest possible voice at every opportunity.
They have done incredible work in recent years.
On this occasion, it appears that the judicial system has delivered on that obligation.
The Scribbler’s views do not necessarily represent those of the Free Press. Let us know your views by emailing freepressnews@menmedia.co.uk.