Leah Croucher's parents say losing their daughter is 'torture'
The parents of Leah Croucher, whose remains were found three years after she disappeared, have described losing their daughter as "torture".
In 2022, the dismembered body of 19-year-old Leah Croucher, who went missing while walking to work in February 2019, were discovered at a house in Milton Keynes, less than half a mile (0.8km) from her home.
Her brother Haydon Croucher took his own life nine months after she disappeared.
John and Claire Croucher, said Haydon had struggled with not knowing what had happened to his sister.
Leah was killed by Neil Maxwell, a repeat sex offender who had been on the run from the police at the time and who died by suicide in April 2019.
John and Claire are now calling for "Leah's Law", which would introduce a mandatory minimum sentence for anyone convicted of a third sexual offence.
The Crouchers believe the siblings could have been saved had such a law been in place.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said that after an in-depth review, it had taken action to strengthen how it risk assesses sex offenders while ensuring complex cases were assigned to more experienced probation officers.
"Sentencing decisions are made by independent judges in line with sentencing guidelines, but our message is clear – repeat offenders must face consequences that cut crime and protect the public," they added.
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