On August 23rd 2007, my life changed forever. A stranger suffering from paranoid schizophrenia took the life of my father by stabbing him 82 times in his own home. The perpetrator was swiftly captured and sentenced, but not to prison. Instead, he was admitted into a psychiatric hospital under a ruling of diminished responsibility. Recently, doctors have declared him 'better' and are allowing him to take unescorted leaves from the hospital. Even more alarmingly, there is no definitive timeframe until this man is released back into our community.

This experience has exposed a troubling loophole in our justice system. Currently, there is no requirement for a retrial or reassessment of an individual's criminal liability once they've been declared medically fit by hospital doctors. This enables individuals who have committed serious crimes, including manslaughter, to be reintroduced into society potentially without ensuring they no longer pose a threat.

In England and Wales, the ratio of those declared culpable for homicide, yet mentally impaired, rose from 85:100 in 1997 to 130:100 in 2011 (The Guardian, 2013). This suggests that the trend of ruling manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility is increasing. If the trend continues, more offenders could be released into the community without a proper reassessment of their criminal liability.

We urge the Judicial System to mandate a retrial or at the very least, a criminal liability reassessment, for individuals sentenced on the grounds of diminished responsibility before they are released. Such a procedure could serve as a safeguard, ensuring these individuals have genuinely recovered and are ready to reintegrate into society, and not a risk to public safety.

This happened when I was just 8 years old and now I am a 25 I am ready to make a change, with the support of my family and friends. The loss of my father not only affected me but my younger siblings, extended family and friends. 

My dad will forever be remembered for his love of fishing, dedication to his favourite football team and the infectious smile that he had. He was a dad, son, brother, friend and a neighbour. 

Please sign this petition to make our communities safer and ensure justice is served comprehensively, even in the complex cases of diminished responsibility.

For more details on the tragic incident that happened to my father please see below I have attached a link to an article to show just exactly what we as a family have been through.

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/family-of-man-stabbed-to-death-call-decision-to-free-killer-with-paranoid-schizophrenia-terrible-mistake-6907000.html