The widow of murdered PC Andrew Harper has attacked Labour's early release scheme after it emerged her husband's killers could soon walk free. Lissie Harper said it was "deplorable" that "releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable".
Her fury comes after it was revealed that Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole could be freed from jail halfway through their sentences. The pair's original sentences sparked nationwide outrage and led to the "Harper's Law" campaign, which brought in mandatory life terms for anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker while committing a crime.
Widow's statement
In a statement, Mrs Harper accused politicians of "making decisions from behind a desk that will have real and lasting consequences for victims' families like mine". She said: "It has taken me years to rebuild a life that was torn apart in a matter of moments. Years to pick up the pieces left behind by three men whose actions robbed Andrew of his life and stole our future.
"Now – once again – politicians are making decisions from behind a desk that will have real and lasting consequences for victims’ families like mine. It is deplorable to me that we have reached a point where releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable. We speak of justice, accountability and standing with victims, yet decisions like this do the opposite. They tell victims their suffering matters less, and offenders that the punishment handed down by our courts is no longer what they will actually serve."
Harper's Law
She added: "When I fought for Harper’s Law, I was supported not only by the Conservative government of the day but by the Labour Party too. They pledged to support our cause and agreed that those who kill emergency workers should face tougher sentences because some crimes are so grave they demand meaningful punishment. That cross-party support helped make Harper’s Law a reality. Today, it feels forgotten.
"For victims’ families, this is not about politics. It is about whether a sentence means what a judge says it means. It is about whether justice is something we truly believe in, or something that can be negotiated away when it becomes inconvenient."
Mrs Harper concluded saying PC Harper "deserves better. Every victim deserves better. And the British public deserve a justice system they can have faith in".
Prime Minister's response
Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister, has said he believes the early release scheme should be reviewed, saying: "I’ve spoken to the new Justice Secretary. We will review the policy together and make further statements in due course."
Bowers and Cole are two of thousands of prisoners, including killers and rapists, set for early release under the Labour scheme – freed halfway through their sentences, provided they behave behind bars.
