Sarah Payne was an eight-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in West Sussex, England, in 2000. Her disappearance and the subsequent discovery of her body led to a high-profile murder case.
On July 1, 2000, Sarah Payne was playing with her two brothers and sister near her grandparents’ home when she was abducted by Roy Whiting, a local man with a previous conviction for child abduction and sexual assault. Despite a massive search effort and widespread media coverage, Sarah’s body was found in a field about 15 miles away from where she was last seen on July 17, 2000.
The investigation into her disappearance and murder was extensive. Forensic evidence, including a strand of Sarah’s hair found on a sweatshirt in Whiting’s van, played a crucial role in the case. Roy Whiting was arrested and charged with Sarah’s kidnapping and murder. In December 2001, he was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The case had a significant impact on the UK, leading to changes in the law regarding sex offenders. Sarah’s mother, Sara Payne, became an advocate for child safety and campaigned for the introduction of “Sarah’s Law,” which allows controlled access to the sex offender registry, so parents with young children can know if a child sex-offender is living in their area. This law was rolled out across England and Wales in 2011, following a pilot scheme that started in 2008.