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

I'm also disgusted by this. That poor poor girl. As if it's not bad enough to have been raped and sexually assaulted on multiple occasions, shes then spent virtually her entire teenage years with this court case hanging over her. And for what?! I cannot believe she feels today that it was worth it. I can only say that at least his name and face have been printed. And he was found guilty. But that's cold comfort, I'm sure.

Scotland under SNP/greens

As another poster on the forum said, rape is practically allowed in this country now if this is the type of sentencing being handed out

I'm also appalled that this application of the acknowledgment of brain development and rehabilitation has been done so cack-handedly.

WTAF is the rehabilitation here? He got community service. I know it has some good outcomes for petty crimes, better than prison, but serial rape?! FFS. If sex offenders could be prevented from reoffending by some gardening, street sweeping or whatever else community service involves then why aren't all sex offenders sentenced to that? It's NOT rehabilitation.

Also what is wrong with punishment AND rehabilitation?

I can answer this question: the SNP wanted to appear "kind" and no doubt "woke", and were too ducking cheap to invest the significant amounts required to run in depth programmes that actually have good outcomes in rehabilitating offenders.

So they've just told all men under the age of 25 that they can rape away and told the women and girls that there's NO point in reporting. Want to bet that this policy will be hailed as a success because the number of rapes will decrease in the coming years. They won't, of course, but women and girls sure as hell won't be reporting them.

SLOW. CLAP. FOR. THE. SNP.

The SNP seem completely unable to consider any 'law of unintended consequences'. Could they really not see this coming??

Whilst it is the case that brains do keep maturing until 25 I don't think violent crime or sexual crime should ever have a non-custodial sentance. Heavens we put kids of 10 in prison (young offenders I realise) if they kill someone.

It is also weird that the SNP think that someone as old as 24 might not be fully repsonible for a rape yet they also think 16 is old enough to decide on a course of life altering drugs/surgery in gender transitions. They also think it is old enough to to vote.

Seems they think you are repsonsible, or not, depending on how progressive it makes the SNP polticians feel regardless of facts.

I agree that maybe an 18 or 19 or 20 year old should get a slightly lower sentance than a 30 year old repeat offender for nicking cars or burglary or fiddling monetary stuff but not for causing permanent injury - and being a victim of a sex assault espcially at 13 will be a permanent injury, something that will never leave you. That poor kid.

Also what is wrong with punishment AND rehabilitation?

Another function of custodial sentences is to keep the public safe. But, of course, rape only affects women and girls, and we seem to be reverting to a time when the “public” was an exclusively male category.

I remember how shocked I was as a child when I realised that rapists didn't go to prison for life. I just couldn't believe it.

For me, rape is worse than murder. I would rather be murdered than raped.

Snp only make policies that benefit the snp, bribery, 16 vote, free bus travel till you're 22, free dentistry till you're 26 it's all designed to curry favour with young voters. Meanwhile in the real world their policies are a disaster.

The whole brain-development-at-25 has really been misunderstood, latched onto and misapplied, in the case of Scotland with the disastrous consequences we now see.

I agree that younger people who do stupid, impulsive things should have sentencing that doesn't ruin their lives for one youthful mistake but I would never in a million years put rape in that category.

https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/brain-development-25-year-old-mature-myth.html

Poor child. Assaulted, traumatised, likely left with PTSD.

And he gets community service...

Blame our wonderful SNP. They’ve decided we can’t send the poor little darlings to prison if they’re under the age of 25. Because the mind of the perpetrator needs protecting more than the victim. And apparently because a few hundred hours of community service will definitely rehabilitate him.

You only have to look at the new Scottish Government cabinet to see they really don’t have much going on in the grey matter department.

I literally said "if the cops/courts...."

cops catch, courts release.

I don't think what I wrote was hard to follow, but then here we are.

Even 4-5 years is ridiculous.

the literal violent rapist on the walk home type of rape should always be a life sentence with no possibility of parole.

It’s actually getting worst in the UK for misogyny. It’s coming from the top and that is really worrying.

This. 💯

I agree 4-5 years for rape is a joke. Community service is just an insult.

We appear to value money and property way higher than girls and women. These crimes take a lifelong toll on the victims and their families. you couldn’t pay me to live in Scotland.

England isn’t much better though is it?

I'm absolutely gob smacked also. I've heard that Scotland is alot more lenient for soke bizarre reason.

Can there be an appeal on the grounds that the sentence is too lenient ?

I live in Germany where a 12 year old girl was recently murdered by two girls aged 12 and 13. ( https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11881893/Middle-class-background-German-schoolgirl-murderers-revealed.html) Both girls will not get punished due to their age.
And just a couple of days ago, a 10 year old girl was murdered by a boy aged 11 who will also not get punished.
The laws regarding serious underage crime must change. It may not have prevented these murders from happening but it is horrible and unjust that these murderers can basically just go on with their lives.

There can be. The problem is that the sentence does actually appear to sit in the new guidelines.

So, if there’s an appeal and it loses the precedent going forward is even stronger.

It needs a bloody quick exclusion to the new under 25 sentencing guidelines for violent and sexual crimes imo.

This is an appalling low sentence, but unfortunately it seems as if the judge followed the guidelines. Fortunately, This man will probably never be able to have a career as who (rightfully) would employ him after this.

Apparently the new leader of the SNP has no qualms about this sentence! I didn’t see it myself but MIL was incensed about some interview or other where appeared totally unconcerned! Apparently the Taoist will get ‘support’

FFS!

That doesn't suprise me in the least from Useless.

As much as I don’t like the man I don’t think that’s entirely fair. He’s absolutely dodged having an opinion on it in every interview I’ve seen - just saying it’s a question for the judiciary rather than politicians (which ignores that it’s their policies the judiciary are following)