Helen’s Law mum Marie McCourt has received the “best Christmas present ever” – confirmation the legislation will start going through Parliament within weeks.
Campaigning Marie, 76, took a call from the Justice Secretary Robert Buckland on Monday, who told her the work to add the bill to the statute books would begin when MPs returned to the House on January 7.
Insurance clerk Helen McCourt, 22, was murdered in 1988 by pub landlord Ian Simms.
Her body has never been found.
Since 2015, her mum has been campaigning for a change in the law to prevent the parole board freeing killers if they have refuse to reveal the location of a missing murder victim’s body.
The legislation has been stymied twice by snap general elections – but now no barriers remain.
Jubilant Marie said she was touched the Justice Minister had taken the time out of his busy schedule to ring her so close to Christmas.
She added: “He put me at ease and assured me that as soon as Parliament reconvenes he will be pushing for Helen’s Law to progress. It’s the best present I could ever have asked for.”
Marie was left reeling last month by the parole board’s decision to approve murderer Simms for release from his life sentence.
But Mr Buckland has since referred the decision back to the board for “reconsideration”. A decision is expected in the second week of January.
Marie said: “I personally thanked Mr Buckland for his intervention.
“For the parole board to accept Simms had killed my daughter, was never going to tell me where he had hidden her, but was still fit for release, is ludicrous.
“That’s why it is so important that we get this law on the statute books.”
Marie likened “missing murdered” killers to the way Moors murderer Ian Brady “had a hold over Keith Bennett’s family”.
She added: “I stressed to Mr Buckland there are other families just like me with killers due to come up before the parole board.”
Marie, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, treasures the last festive photograph of her with Helen, taken on New Year’s Eve 1987. She said: “It’s such a lovely picture. It’s hard to believe that just six weeks later she was taken from us.
“Without a grave to tend or lay flowers on, the memorial is the only place I can go to remember my daughter on special occasions. We then place a little Christmas tree with fairy lights next to the seat, where Helen’s photograph is displayed.
“And occasionally, we find people have left little Christmas bouquets of flowers there.”
