Sara Payne calls for crime system overhaul

LONDON (Reuters) - Campaigner Sara Payne, whose daughter was abducted and murdered by a convicted paedophile, called on Thursday for an overhaul of the criminal justice system to give more support to the victims of crime.

Payne, who was appointed "Victims' Champion" by the government in January, said those affected by crime needed far more care and information about their cases, adding that many people felt let down by the current system.

She said judges should also spell out exactly how long offenders would have to serve in prison when they delivered their sentence, to remove confusion.

"The experience that I and my family had of the criminal justice system was a positive one," she said in her "Redefining Justice" report, based on interviews carried out with victims, witnesses and those who provided support to them.

"The professionals who worked on the case from the very first day involved us and did everything they could to consider and accommodate our needs.

"At times I have almost felt guilty for this when hearing of the bad experiences some of the victims I have met have."

Payne was appointed to give an independent public voice to the 1.5 million people who are victims and witnesses of crime every year.

She came to prominence after her daughter Sarah, 8, was killed by Roy Whiting, who a judge had earlier said should never have been released from prison, in 2000.

Her report said victims needed to know about how their case was progressing, what would happen to the offender, and to be confident that they would not be targeted for coming forward to the authorities.