The mother of murdered High Wycombe student Libby Squire has met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to call for changes to the law for sexual offences and ask for consistency in sentencing for murder.
21-year-old Libby was raped and murdered after a night out in Hull in February 2019. She was studying Philosophy and Religious Studies at Hull University.
Her killer, 24-year-old Pawel Relowicz, had nine previous convictions for non-contact sexual offences, including indecent exposure and stealing women’s underwear.
Libby’s mum Lisa, who met the Prime Minister on Tuesday 15th March, believes that more could be done to intervene before offenders like Relowicz escalate their offending.
[VIDEO: Lisa Squire tells us how the PM responded to her concerns about non-contact sexual offences]
[VIDEO: Libby's mum explains amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill]
Lisa was also keen to discuss with the Prime Minister the discrepancy in sentencing between Libby’s case and some other similar crimes.
Relowicz was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years for Libby’s murder but Wayne Couzens, the killer of Sarah Everard, received a whole life order for what appears to be an almost identical crime.
[VIDEO: PM was horrified at the sentence for Libby's murderer]
As soon as we began speaking to Lisa a month or so ago, what was apparent immediately was her drive to make a difference and for the tragedy that’s beset her family to be a catalyst for change.
As well as changes to the law, Lisa has previously spoken to us about how being aware of certain dangers and adapting our behaviour, such as not leaving friends alone on a night out and accompanying them right to their doorstep, could make women safer. You can watch those interviews in the links below.
[VIDEO: Lisa tells us about speaking in schools and the other things she wants to achieve to make women safer]
[VIDEO: Lisa summarises her experience of meeting Boris Johnson and working with Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding, Rachel Maclean]
[PICTURE: Libby Squire]
Previous stories and interviews:
Libby Squire’s mum speaks bravely of lessons to be learnt from her daughter’s murder
Mum of murdered Libby Squire wants to meet her daughter's killer
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