Express & Star comment: Treatment of Margaret Skidmore is a disgrace
The outrageous case of Margaret Skidmore shows just how barmy our criminal justice system has become – as if another example was needed.
The 81-year-old was strangled and repeatedly punched by Leroy Campbell, who moments earlier had raped and murdered her daughter.
Yet Mrs Skidmore's claim for compensation has been turned down because her injuries do not meet the required threshold.
This is an absolute disgrace.
How such a savage attack cannot be deemed worthy of compensation is, in itself, beyond belief.
But when you consider the the vast number of taxpayer-funded payouts that the authorities hand to hardened criminals, it becomes utterly ridiculous.
On a daily basis this newspaper reports on thugs, thieves and miscreants of every variety being given light or suspended sentences, often despite having racked up lengthy criminal records.
The law feels more weighted in favour of those who break it than ever before.
While Mrs Skidmore is deemed undeserving of compensation, the likes of serial killer and all round scumbag Levi Bellfield was apparently paid £6,000 after the poor little lamb bloodied his lip in a prison fight.
It has become increasingly clear in recent years that lawmakers and the judiciary have lost all semblance of common sense in how they deal with criminals.
If anyone deserves some for of recompense for the horrors she has been through, it is Mrs Skidmore.
Yet the resounding impression is that the state would much rather look after the human rights and wellbeing of those who break the law.
The mess we are in now started decades ago, and worryingly, there are no signs of any improvements on the horizon.
The mantra 'tough on crime' has become a throwaway phrase adopted by vote-seeking politicians.
Few in the public give it any credence these days.
If people are to maintain any level of respect for law and order in this country, our legal system needs to change, and change fast.
Our lawmakers need to step outside of the politically correct enclave that exists within the Westminster bubble.
They should be aware that around the country, patience is wearing thin.
The public can only take so much before a complete rejection of an establishment that has long since lost touch with the communities it is supposed to protect.
