Last week, the Government finally introduced the long- awaited Victims Bill to Parliament.

Whilst this was welcomed across the House, it should not have taken eight years for this Bill to be brought before Parliament.

During this time, victims and their families have suffered at the hands of criminals needlessly. This is not acceptable.

The Government has unfortunately missed the perfect opportunity to put victims at the heart of the justice system, to ensure that they have access to the support they need.

There are no defined rights for victims in the Bill. It only states that agencies ‘should’ comply with the four overarching principles of the Victims Code.

For 13 years, the criminal justice system under the Conservatives has let victims down and allowed criminals to go unpunished. Trials are delayed for years because of the record courts delays with victims paying the price. A record number of criminals getting off scot-free leaving victims powerless and traumatised.

Rape victims in particular are facing an average wait of three years to have their case heard in court. This delay leaves vulnerable people feeling powerless and traumatised, and in the time it takes for the wait to pass, two thirds of survivors feel they cannot cope with the process any longer and drop their case.

This is unacceptable and fails victims in the most fundamental way. The Victims Bill was an opportunity to balance the scales of justice, and stop them from leaning in favour of criminals, as they do at the moment.

I have worked with Johnny Wood over the last 4 and a half years, following the tragic and untimely death of his sister Jackie Wileman, who was killed by four men driving a stolen HGV lorry who had 100 convictions between them.

Johnny has been a tireless campaigner for stronger sentences for those who kill due to dangerous driving. In 2022, the campaign was successful and the maximum sentence for those who are guilty of death by dangerous driving was increased from 14 years to life imprisonment.

I know that in Barnsley East we are experiencing a surge in anti-social behaviour, causing great stress to local residents.

Though South Yorkshire Police are working hard on this issue, they need more support from central government to restore the public’s trust in the justice system.

The ex victims commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, last week raised concerns that victims of antisocial behaviour are being let down saying, “it’s just amazing that the government completely disregards this group of often very vulnerable people”

The Labour Party will give victims of crime a voice, putting them at the heart of the justice system by increasing the number of prosecutors to ensure cases are being taken through court at an efficient pace, offering free legal advice to rape survivors, and giving victims of anti-social behaviour a voice. We are also committed to ending the epidemic of violence against women and girls so that everyone feels safe on the streets.