I don't understand why sentencing varies so much?

[roaringgiraffe]

Particularly in the grooming gang sentences

First one in Oxford.., they got life. Appealed and still life

Latest one... they're getting much less

Apparently some of Rochdale ones already out

Why is sentencing reducing the more cases come to light?

1. Discretion by the individual judges
2. Different charges/different number of charges and convictions
3. Aggravating and mitigating circumstances
4. Overpopulation of prisons
5. Whether or not the case has been highly publicised and there's a point to be made
6. In the case of crimes involving multiple people, where the individual fit within the group/hierarchy and what their individual role was

Ambiguous laws, lenient judges, better lawyers? The usual ... why does one rapist get 3 months and another 20 years? Because we apparently can't have a blanket 'if guilty receives x years'... which on one hand I understand and the other I abhor.

This baffles me too. I know a guy who was killed with one punch and the guy got 18 months and another who had a diabetic coma when driving which tragically killed a man in anoher car and he got 3.5 years! I dont see how a malicious act can be punished less than a tragic yet avoidable accident.

@Pickleypickles the difference in those sentences is terrible :-(