Diana Parkes CBE reacts to changes announced by the Ministry of Justice
The mother of Joanna Simpson is said to have been 'instrumental' in the introduction of new restriction zones for offenders in the UK.
From October, serious offenders there could be confined to areas just a few miles wide after leaving prison and GPS tags will be used to track their movements.
Joanna, who grew up on the Isle of Man, was killed by her estranged husband Robert Brown in 2010.
At trial, Brown admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was given a 26-year jail sentence.
In April this year, having served more than half of his sentence, Brown faced a hearing to determine whether he could be released on parole.
However, in May, the Parole Board agreed he was not fit to be released from prison, and will remain in custody until 2036, or until the board is satisfied he no longer poses a risk.
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Caption: "Image: Joanna Simpson, via Diana Parkes"
Last month, it was also announced that he would not be eligible for early release under plans to ease prison overcrowding in England and Wales.
Initial plans would have included reducing manslaughter sentences, however, in one of a number of recently announced changes, the UK Government confirmed anyone jailed for unlawful killing will now not be included in the scheme.
Joanna's mum, Diana Parkes CBE, has welcomed the news that restriction zones are to be introduced, saying it's a move that prioritises the interests and safety of the victim and their loved ones.
However, she believes the scope of the measure should be extended to cover perpetrators of domestic abuse too.
Diana has been explaining to Manx Radio how she first pitched the idea of restriction zones to the UK's Ministry of Justice in February last year:
Picture credit: Diana Parkes
Meanwhile, Manx charity Victim Support has also spoken out in favour of the newly-announced restriction zones, and shared its admiration for Diana's efforts in advocating for the rights of victims and their families.
In a statement to Manx Radio, the charity says: "We are very supportive of all the work that Diana has done in the UK regarding restriction zones for perpetrators.
"Victims often feel scared to get on with their lives, feeling trapped in their homes. Exclusion zones can highlight where a victim and family members are living and working, especially when a perpetrator may not have known where the victim lives, giving the perpetrator further power and control over the victim.
"So restricting perpetrators on release is a much better, victim-focused approach allowing victims to gain some control back in their lives. But, we have to acknowledge that this type of approach will probably not be a viable option for the island due to our geographical limitations.
"However, we believe that the further use of GPS tags for monitoring perpetrators would provide more reassurance for victims on the island, especially in domestic abuse cases, and would welcome this more victim-focused measure locally.
"We have worked for a number of years with Diana and admire her tenacity and dedication in trying to and actually making significant changes locally and in the UK. Diana is an active member of the Domestic Abuse Forum here, and we all value her input into the work around domestic abuse and other victims.
"Her personal work and the work of the Joanna Simpson Foundation have helped to highlight awareness around domestic abuse and break the taboo of talking about it, which we believe is leading to more people coming to Victim Support Isle of Man to gain information and help for their own situations."
Manx Radio has invited the Department of Home Affairs to add comment to the changes announced by the UK Ministry of Justice.
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