Government 'working on proposals to change law' as family of murder victim call for justice

Following a meeting between the Aunt of a woman murdered in east London and the Justice Secretary, the government's told us it's working on proposals to change the law so families see justice being served.

In a statement the Ministry of Justice described the murder of Zara Aleena in Ilford a year ago as despicable.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said:

“This was a despicable crime and we have apologised unreservedly to Zara Aleena’s family for the unacceptable failings in her case.

“Perpetrators of such crimes should face the consequences of their actions by attending court – that’s why we are working on proposals to change the law so families see justice being served.”

The 35 year old law graduate was killed as she walked home in Ilford in 2022 in a brutal attack by Jordan McSweeney who was eventually jailed for life with a minimum of 38 years.

During his trial he refused to leave his cell to listen to the victim impact statements, which Zara's Aunt Farah Naz took 12 hours to write and for his eventual sentencing.

Ms Naz met with Alex Chalk today to push for offenders who refuse to attend court to face additional jail time.

"I am going to push for this, it's really important.

We absolutely have to prioritise this. It's not just for us it's for society and I think that's the important distinction. It isn't just for victims, it's for society. Another deterrent. "

Currently prisoners who refuse to attend their sentencing can already face further punishments in prison, including loss of privileges, being confined in cells, or being barred from participating in prison activities.

You can sign the petition as part of the Face the Family campiagn here

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