After anger from victims’ families, UK says criminals will be forced to attend sentencing

LONDON (AP) — The British government says it will change the law to force serious criminals to attend their sentencing hearings. There was widespread outrage earlier this month when nurse Lucy Letby refused to come to court to be sentenced for the murder of seven infants and the attempted murder of six others. It follows several other recent cases in which high-profile convicts chose not to face their victims. The government says it will change the law to make clear that custody officers can use “reasonable force” to make offenders attend. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says criminals “should not be allowed to take the coward’s way out.”