Wendy Robinson: Victims need a voice

Victims Voices founder Wendy Robinson, whose 27-year-old daughter was murdered five years ago, said criminals were looked after better than victims and their families.

She told the BBC: "Victims need a voice and we need representation in the House of Commons."

The issue of criminals cashing in on their crimes is top of the agenda.

The charity says payments to killers like Mary Bell for the biography by Gitta Sereny should be banned.

Bell, who was convicted in 1968 of the manslaughter of two boys aged three and four, received a payment for her role.

The publication created an outcry earlier this year from relatives of her victims who said they objected to a killer profiting from her crime.

Jack Straw: Review of payments to criminals

Home Secretary Jack Straw said after the biography Cries Unheard came out that publication of books by former criminals is to be controlled more strictly in the future.

The charity also wants the Home Office to look into the issue of compensation for victims of crime.

The issue was highlighted earlier this month in the case of the trial of Russell Cook for the murders of Lin and Megan Russell.

Lin's daughter Josie, now 11, narrowly survived the vicious hammer attack in a country lane in Chillenden, near Canterbury on 9 July 1996.

She suffered serious head injuries and was left brain damaged, but was originally awarded only £18,500 by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for the murder of her mother and sister.

Josie Russell: Compensation increased after newspaper campaign

She received an extra £60,500 after a nationwide appeal spearheaded by a tabloid newspaper.

Her father Shaun was awarded £15,000 compensation for the loss of his wife and child.

Mrs Richardson said: "Public money is put into rehabilitating criminals.

"MPs listen to criminals and they even have tea on the terraces of the House of Commons with representatives of criminals and yet victims are treated like a charity.

"It is absolutely appalling particularly when you have families where one child has been murdered and the grieving parents have to bring up another child, there is no financial support they can have.

"Even people who adopt children are entitled to at least £300 a week.

"One of our members was told she could have £20."