‘Soft justice’ anger as 1 in 14 rapists is spared prison term
ONE in 14 rapists has been spared prison in the past decade – fuelling concerns the criminal justice system is soft on sex offenders.
Some 12,191 rapists were convicted in England and Wales between 2007 and 2017. But a shocking 896 were handed non- custodial sentences, according to new figures.
Over the same period, more than half of those found guilty of sexual assault were not sent to jail. Some 22,457 people were convicted of the crime, but 12,275 (55 per cent) avoided being locked up.
Instead, the criminals were let off with community sentences, cautions, suspended jail sentences, conditional discharges or some other punishment instead of custody.
The revelation has infuriated campaigners who fear judges are not sending a tough message on sex attacks when they set sentences. The damning figures will also surprise people at a time when questions have been raised over so-called ‘soft justice’.
Last week justice minister Rory Stewart said sentences of less than a year should be scrapped for all but the most serious offences – which opponents branded a ‘green light for criminals’.
Critics said the use of cautions and other non- custodial sentences for sex crimes was undermining the public’s faith in the ability of the justice system to properly punish offenders.
Campaigners are also concerned that the number of rapists and other attackers who are spared jail could deter victims from reporting crimes.
The statistics were dragged out of the Ministry of Justice by former Tory Cabinet minister Priti Patel using Parliamentary questions. She said: ‘ These shocking figures show too many rapists and sex offenders are being put back on our streets.
‘Thousands of sex offenders, including sick child rapists, are being given get- out- of-jail free cards by soft judges. The Ministry of Justice must get a grip on this issue and bring in new laws and ensure dangerous and sick sex offenders get locked up for a long time.’
David Spencer, research director of the Centre For Crime Prevention think-tank, said: ‘The idea that anyone who is convicted of rape does not warrant a prison sentence goes against all logic or reason.
‘It will come as a massive shock to the tens of thousands of people who have be victims of this appalling offence as well as the public at large who put their faith in the justice system to protect them from serious offenders. It is high time the MoJ takes steps to make sure that every rapist spends the time behind bars that their offence deserves.’
The figures unearthed by Miss Patel show that more than 13,000 convicted rapists and sex offenders were not sentenced to immediate custody in the past ten years.
That includes 553 offenders convicted of raping a child under 13 – or one in five of the 2,613 people guilty of the crime. Another 343 offenders who raped someone aged 13 and over escaped prison. There were also 1,693 offenders who sexually assaulted an under-13 and 10,582 who molested someone aged 13 or over who avoided a jail sentence.
It is understood many cases involved either under-18s, older people who committed rape or sexual assault a long time ago or those who may have been a partner of the victim.
In one case, a baby-faced rapist was spared jail in February despite admitting a horrifying sex attack on a girl of just 12. Charlie Flinders was 16 when he raped the schoolgirl after sending her explicit messages.
Now 18, he was given a twoyear prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting raping the girl in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, in 2015.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘Under this Government, more sex offenders are being convicted and spending longer behind bars.
‘Since 2010 sentences have increased by over 20 per cent, with sex offenders facing on average five years in prison.
‘But sentencing remains a matter for independent judges.’