Government considering changing the law, after the killing of Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool
They've issued a response to the Face the Family campaign, set up by Olivia's mum after her death
The government says it is considering changing the law in response to the killing of Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.
The 9 year old was shot dead by Thomas Cashman in August 2022.
After being found guilty of her murder, Cashman refused to come up from the dock and be sentenced.
Following Olivia's death, her mum Cheryl set up the Face the Family campaign, to force a parliamentary debate over changing the law - which would force offenders who have been convicted of crimes to appear in court for sentencing.
The petition has gained over 31 thousand signatures, and in an official response the government has said: "Under the current law, courts can ensure in most cases that offenders appear to face the consequences of their crimes.
"However, it is the case that an offender who is being held in prison on remand cannot currently be forced to attend their sentencing hearing. We are therefore carefully considering how best to address this issue.
"The Government is carefully considering changing the law so that offenders are required to face up to their actions and victims can see justice being served."
In the response, the government said they would be looking at bringing forward legislation "as soon as possible"