Yahoo News 
Parents' victim impact statement changed to spare feelings of driver who killed their four-year-old daughter
A victim impact statement by grieving parents whose girl, 4, who was knocked down by a speeding driver was edited in case it was too upsetting for the killer.
Violet-Grace Youens died after a car driven by Aidan McAteer struck her in Merseyside in March 2017.
He was driving at 83mph in a 30mph zone.
McAteer fled the scene after the crash.
He was subsequently caught and jailed for nine years and four months.
His passenger Dean Brennan, who aided him in fleeing the country, was jailed for six years and eight months.
But it has now emerged that McAteer won the right at Liverpool Crown Court to have parts of the family's statement edited.
Marie Rimmer, the MP for St Helens South and Whiston, told a debate in Westminster that McAteer's barrister successfully objected to the parent's full statement.
“The judge accepted this and the CPS barrister gave the parents a copy of their impact statement with parts they could not read out in open court highlighted,” said Rimmer.
“The whole purpose of the victim impact statement is the impact on the victims and the survivors, not the defendant.”
Her grieving parents, Becky and Glenn Youens, have now launched a petition calling for tougher sentences after learning that half of McAteer’s sentence could be spent outside on licence.
The current maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is 14 years, but many defendants are handed just a fraction of the maximum term and some even walk free.
On Monday, MPs gathered in parliament to debate the introduction of 'Violet-Grace's Law', which could lead to life sentences for those convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.
Raising the motion to introduce life sentences in Parliament on Monday, Helen Jones, Labour MP for Warrington North, said: "I do say to the minister, please can the government now get on with this?
"I know that they are looking at other things to be included in a road safety bill... but they are delaying action on something that many of us believe need action on now."
The Ministry of Justice said it was focused “on getting the law right”.
