to be completely horrified!?

[beesgobzzz]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6969327/Former-bus-driver-26-admitted-raping-14-year-old-girl-gets-no-jail-time.html

A judge did not give this child rapist any jail time because "there was only one victim"

That one victim is a 14 year old girl who he met whilst working as a school bus driver.

I can't even find the words to describe how much this enrages me.

The judges in this country seem to be on another planet. If that was my 14 year old daughter this man wouldn't be walking again ever.

@KnifeAngel It's in the USA, so sadly seems to be a global problem. It does beg the question though, how many victims would gave been enough to send him to prison?

Such callas disregard for the victim in this case.

Typo: callous

I served as a member of the jury on a rape case where a 13 year old was raped by a 16 year old. We found him guilty (the evidence was overwhelming - the trial lasted 8 days and there were 27 witnesses for the crown) The judge gave him a 2 year suspended sentence. The judicial system in this country is fucked.

I don’t even have words for this. Just despicable that he gets to go free after ruining this young girls life. So what if it was the first time he’s done anything like that! Serial rapists start somewhere

I have a daughter this age. I cannot imagine how that family live with the anger of what that man did to their daughter. I really believe that society is getting worse for females.

I agree SirVix, this injustice is enough to drive a parent to a complete breakdown, it would eat away at me I’m sure. The fact their child was raped is bad enough but for him to get off scot free is just terrible.

Well something is not adding up here.

The CPS Sentencing Guidelines state that:

Rape is a serious specified offence to which dangerous offender provisions apply (part 2, Schedule 15 Criminal Justice Act 2003)

The starting points in the guidelines are a) for offenders who do not meet the dangerous offender criteria and b) as the basis for the setting of a minimum term within an indeterminate sentence for those who do meet the criteria.

Starting Points
Single offence of rape by single offender: 8 years custody - victim 13 or over but under 16
Rape accompanied by aggravating factor: 10 years custody- victim aged 13 or over but under 16

(NB. Abuse of trust is classed as an "aggravating factor")

www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/rape-and-sexual-offences-chapter-19-sentencing

BuzzPeakWankBobbly it's in the US.

Horrific. I can't even begin to find words.

That would be because the CPS sentencing guidelines don't apply in America, BuzzPeak. Which also suggests that the UK system isn't as fucked as people suggest.

BuzzPeakWankBobbly this offence happened in the US, but there are plenty of similar cases in the UK where adult men have raped girls as young as 12, and several have walked free from court with no stain on their character.

There is no justice in the UK.
There is an illusion of a 'justice system'.

Maybe there isn’t any justice in the UK, but this didn’t happen in the uk..........

However this does make very sad reading regardless of where in the world it happened

It's bloody horrific. That poor girl. How do her family help her deal with a)the attack and b) knowing that the judge says doesn't matter a damn what has been done to her

usworld - wrong thread.

It's all down to money. Prisons are expensive to maintain and there seems to be pressure on the judiciary to reduce the number of people put in prison. (I seem to remember there was a suggestion recently that sentences under 6months should be abolished!)

Personally be I don't think this should apply to rape though. All rapists should be severely punished, not let off with a slap on the wrist!

There is no justice in the UK.

Given that the headline to the article expressly says that the case was in New York, what is the relevance of this comment?

My comment: There is no justice in the UK
was extrapolated from my own experience of the UK justice system and from years of supporting young women reporting sexual abuse / rape