To be absolutely furious and disgusted that a man who raped a 13 year old child when he was 17 has been given community service?!

[AngeloMysterioso]

From the BBC-

A man who raped a 13-year-old schoolgirl in a park when he was 17 has avoided a prison sentence.

Sean Hogg, 21, attacked the girl in Dalkeith Country Park, Midlothian, on various occasions between March and June 2018.

Judge Lord Lake said that if the offence had been committed by an adult over 25, Hogg would have received a jail sentence of four or five years.

Instead he was ordered to do 270 hours of unpaid work.

Court papers stated Hogg, of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, threatened the girl, seized her by the wrists and forced her to carry out a sex act before raping her.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65164041

Totally disgusting. It’s local to me and in Scotland they’re doing everything they can to lower the age of being an adult. You can vote for local and Scottish parliament elections at 16 now. I don’t have a say in my DD’s medical care after 12 but a 17 year old rapist gets off because of his age??? You know he’s going to carry on because what’s the incentive not to. Unbelievable.

Can the lenient sentence be appealed ?

We have awful, lenient sentences in Ireland too.
Certain judges have gained notoriety due to their lenient sentencing.

When was it decided in society that punishment wasn't necessary for dreadful crimes committed ?
That victims don't matter.

Totally agree with @TheFireflies - the first time he raped her it was his first offence but then he carried on doing it? So how do you work out that all of this sentence is for a first offence.

I feel like if I set fire to five people's shops over several months they wouldn't all be grouped together and sentenced like this as if it was a moment of madness.

I do get the point of children not being driven into the prison system where they are often made worse not better, but this is a serial rapist.

We can only hope so in this case. I'm sure the upstanding citizens of Mid Lothian would very much like to deal with him. I hope they get the chance.

Awful and depressing

I don’t fully understand what the judge meant by “her age and vulnerabilities are aggravating factors”. I took that to mean that he’d get a lengthier sentence but then the judge decided against custody?

Judge is corrupt? Judge promotes paedophilia?

Wonder which motivated the judge in this case?

Disgusting.

This is crazy. Just more proof that the law does not take crimes where women are the victims seriously.

I took that to mean that if there hadn't been those aggravating factors he wouldn't have had such a 'harsh' sentence. It is absolutely ludicrous.

The judge is only following sentencing guidelines which strongly recommend rehabilitation rather than incarceration.

What are the actual guidelines though? Surely they refer to lower level crimes (say, shoplifting) and not multiple rapes? How does community service rehabilitate?

It's concerning the judge thinks it's an appropriate sentence...even if you did think you were 'following guidelines', they're up for interpretation so I'd be interpreting it not to include rapists. I'd be looking into the judges background if I'm honest.

Don't even get me started on the defence appealing.

That poor girl.

In saying that, hopefully if it goes to appeal the next judge/judges will realise what a disgrace the sentence is.

If someone ever does that to one of my kids, they better hope the police catch them before I do. And if the cops/courts pull some BS catch and release like this then I suppose they did me a favor making him easy to find.

I've been looking ages for a thread on this, it's surprising it hasn't generated more anger.

It's absolutely abhorrent that a 13 year old girl can be raped (several times it seems) and perpetrator just has community service. It's a horrible outcome mad no justification whatsoever. Judge the crime, not the person.

What BS do you think the police have pulled exactly? Sentencing is down to the judge and the legal system.

He'd be in breach of his court order so could end up with a prison sentance if he refused

Pubesofsoberness thank you for answering my question.

Rape is rape whatever the age. I'm sick of girls and women having their rights to be safe from predators and rapists taken away. WTF is causing the safety of females to be so disregarded.

This

Is rape practically legal now?

Yes.

The snp have fucked Scotland with their crackpot policies. Community order is not appropriate obviously for rape but that where we are at because of snp lunacy.

Welcome to the wonderful Scottish justice system. Not the fault of the judges or sheriff's who are hamstrung by ludicrous sentencing guidelines. Not even murder can get you locked up in Scotland today.

I'm beyond furious and aghast at this. That poor girl, attacked repeatedly at age 13 and then her life basically on hold before being retraumatised by a court case that ends in this absolute joke of a sentence.
And that rapist bastard still has the cheek to think he's been dealt with too harshly? I genuinely will be delighted if someone sorts him out in the way he deserves.

Scotland is an absolute joke.

Will he have to do any community service? I mean if he refuses can he be made to do it?

In theory a refusal should lead to the case being referred back to court for a "revision" of the sentence, but in view of the initial leniency nobody with sense would expect that to come to much

In any case, knowing this he almost certainly won't refuse; instead it'll be health issues, MH problems or similar

This is horrific. It appears Scotland isn’t exactly safe for girls and women. Even worse than England. The sentence guidelines are terribly wrong.

Is rape basically legal now? Terrible time to be a woman, feels like society is regressing.

It certainly is if you’re a man under 25 in Scotland…

Gives younger men a free pass essentially. Community service will have a minimum impact on their lives and post their hours they’ll likely have schemes to make sure their careers aren’t negatively impacted.

Its just vile.