Murdered Goth's mum takes campaign on TV

Sophie Lancaster's mother will appear on the Politics Show tomorrow (Sunday 10 May)

The mother of a woman who was brutally murdered because she was dressed like a Goth is taking her campaign onto national TV tomorrow (Sunday 10 May).

Sylvia Lancaster, whose daughter, Sophie, was murdered in a park in August 2007, is to appeal on the Politics Show, to discuss her battle to get recognition for crimes against “sub cultures”.

Mrs. Lancaster hopes a more defined justice system will bring higher sentencing guidelines for those responsible for similar prejudicial attacks.

Sophie Lancaster, 20, was killed in a Bacup park after trying to protect her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, from violent youths.

She cradled his battered head on her lap before the gang turned on her. She was so badly beaten that paramedics couldn’t tell what sex she was.

As previously reported by Rochdale Online News, Mrs. Lancaster met with Justice Secretary Jack Straw to discuss reclassification of “hate crime” offences.

She said: “Judges can use hate crime at their discretion, and that’s what they did at Robert and Sophie’s trial.

“But what we are hoping for is to have this legislation widened, with some of it specifically focusing on sub cultures.
“From this we can gather better statistics, and hopefully have stricter sentencing guidelines for anything like this that happens in the future.

She added: “I have been so busy campaigning but it is important to me to do this”.

Jack Straw acknowledged Mrs Lancaster’s concerns, but has so far said there is not a need for “working definitions”.

The Politics Show will be broadcast on BBC One, this Sunday between 12.00 and 13.00.