A sexual abuse survivor has strongly criticised Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, accusing them of "laughing at victims" over remarks perceived as flippant about the government's early prisoner release scheme. The intervention adds to mounting political pressure on Labour's justice policy, which has already come under fire after high-profile cases, including the early release of PC Harper's killers, prompted Andy Burnham to order an "urgent review" and pause the scheme.

The survivor described the ministers' comments as a "disgusting" joke, arguing it showed a lack of respect and understanding towards victims of serious crime affected by early release decisions. The criticism comes amid wider scrutiny of the early release policy, with public and political anger growing over specific cases where offenders convicted of serious violent crimes were freed ahead of schedule, fuelling calls for tighter oversight of the scheme.