News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A woman whose mum was raped and murdered will never know where the killer buried her – because authorities are protecting HIS human rights.

Both his prison and the European Union are stopping grieving Tracy Richardson from contacting evil Martin Stafford.

She claims she was told the jail refused to hand the murderer a letter from her because the governor thought it was “intrusive” and “in breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.

Then Tracy found out police are forbidden from asking ­Stafford, 45, where Michelle Gunson’s body is buried. Under the terms of his EU extradition from Ireland HE has to give THEM consent to ask him.

Now the only way Tracy, 30, can find out the truth is to beg the lifer to tell her face to face.

(Image: Hotspot Media)

But to do that she has to get a visitation order – signed by Stafford. “I’m in total shock,” said mum-of-one Tracy. “He should have lost his human rights the second he decided to commit those evil crimes.

“He’s not a human in my eyes, he’s a monster. All I want is to lay Mum to rest and give her the dignity she deserves. But I have no hope of doing that unless someone gets Stafford to admit where she is.”

Michelle, then 38, was a security guard at Birmingham’s NEC when she went missing in December 2004. Police found traces of semen and her blood in her car.

In 2007, DNA taken from Stafford when he was convicted of another rape in Ireland in 2005 matched the car sample. It emerged the killer had fled to Dublin days after Michelle’s disappearance. He had 23 previous convictions in Ireland, including sex offences.

Police issued a European Arrest Warrant and he was extradited to be charged with Michelle’s murder when he finished his rape sentence in 2012.

(Image: Hotspot Media)

But the rules of the warrant meant he was never questioned by police over the crime or where he dumped the body.

Stafford was tried on the strength of the DNA and was sentenced to 33 years. But police are still forbidden to question him unless he requests it.

Tracy gave her letter begging him to show some compassion to the probation service last May. Eight months later she learned the governor decided not to pass it on.

“They won’t even tell me what prison he’s in,” she says. “I have no hope any more.

“It doesn’t make sense – he’s a convicted murderer. Why is everyone protecting him?

“Police always seem to be going to prison to interview people like Ian Brady about where his victims are. Stafford seems to have more rights, not less. The law must change”

Det Insp Simon Astle of West Midlands CID said: “Martin Stafford was brought back to the UK on a European Arrest Warrant.

“We cannot interview extradited individuals unless they request it. Mr Stafford continues to deny involvement in Michelle’s disappearance.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said yesterday: “We are committed to supporting crime victims and are looking into this.”