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Families of Murder Victims Demand New Law After Loved Ones Burned and Hidden by Killers

Published on June 12, 2025

The families of murder victims, including the mother of April Jones, are demanding new laws to punish killers who desecrate and hide bodies. Marie McCourt, who lost her daughter Helen in 1988, has long campaigned for justice, and now she’s joined by the families of Sarah Everard and April Jones in calling for real change.

Marie’s Stop the Desecration campaign was brought up in Prime Minister’s Questions, with Keir Starmer acknowledging the heartbreak behind these horrific cases. He said: “We all need to listen to what they have to say,” as he referred to the pain these families continue to endure, reported the Mirror.

April Jones was just five when she was kidnapped and murdered by Mark Bridger in 2012. Only tiny fragments of her remains were ever found. Her mum, Coral, said: “The offences he was charged with, and convicted of, don’t reflect the true horror of what he did. The law needs to be changed.”

The Everard family also lent their voice to the campaign. Sarah was abducted, raped and murdered in 2021 by Wayne Couzens, who then burned her body and dumped it in rubble bags. No extra charges were brought for attempting to hide her remains. In a statement, the family said: “What Couzens did afterwards – burning and dumping her body in a bid to destroy evidence – has only deepened our pain, grief and torture.”

Marie McCourt, who successfully pushed for Helen’s Law to deny parole to killers who refuse to reveal the location of victims’ bodies, wants further steps taken. MP Ann Davies raised the issue in Parliament, urging the Prime Minister to meet with the families of victims including Michael O’Leary, who was shot and burned in 2020.

Keir Starmer responded: “My thoughts and I’m sure the thoughts of the whole House are with Michael’s family and all those affected by such vile crimes. I’m sure the Justice Minister will be in touch at the first opportunity to take this forward.”

Marie, now 81, says she’s tired of waiting. “Three years on, the inquiry is still ongoing and we are no further forward. Meanwhile, the number of desecrations has soared – causing untold distress to families.”

She was stunned to learn that burning a body outside of a crematorium is technically already a statutory offence – but the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed only three charges have ever been brought under it, and only one led to a conviction. “Four of our families have suffered the distress of knowing their loved ones were set alight. So why weren’t the killers charged with these offences?” she asked.

Marie’s campaign is backed by other families, including those of Sasha Marsden, 16, who was raped, stabbed, and set on fire; Jayden Parkinson, 17, murdered and hidden in a grave; Jan Mustafa, 38, stored in a freezer for a year; and Lorraine Cox, 32, who was dismembered.

She says, “So many families are living with the horror of knowing their loved one has not only been murdered – but been set alight, dismembered and scattered. Advances in forensic science mean killers go to desperate lengths to hide or destroy victims – and thanks to the dark side of the internet and true crime shows, there’s no shortage of gruesome ideas.”

Support is growing from police, psychologists, criminologists and pathologists. Forensic expert Dr Richard Shepherd added: “Bodies speak to the pathologist. What the deceased says can help bring a perpetrator to justice. In a civilised society, surely any attempt to prevent that from happening should be accountable?”

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