Scottish Sentencing Council review on rape sentence guidelines for under-25s

[IwantToRetire]

The guidelines were criticised in April when Sean Hogg was sentenced to community service after repeatedly raping a 13-year-old girl in 2018. Hogg was 17 at the time of the offences.
Rape Crisis Scotland said the sentence was “worryingly lenient” while Jamie Greene, the Scottish Conservatives’ justice spokesman, said it proved the guidelines on under-25s were “misguided and dangerous”.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has appealed against Hogg's sentence. The Scottish government has confirmed that the sentencing council is to review the operation of the guidelines.

The sentencing council recommended changing the guidelines on under-25s in a paper published in 2021. Lady Dorrian, chairwoman of the council, said at the time: “We understand that cognitive maturity does not develop fully until one’s mid-20s and are persuaded that there is a case for sentencing young adults under the age of 25 on a different basis to older people.”

The guidelines were criticised after the Hogg case. Greene said the guidelines effectively meant under-25s could not be jailed and that judges’ hands were tied. Pauline McNeill, a Labour MSP, said it was wrong that abhorrent crimes resulted in a “slap on the wrist”.

The Scottish government said: “The independent Scottish Sentencing Council is undertaking a review of the young people guideline. The government supports that review.”

Hogg’s lawyers plan to appeal against his conviction.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/review-on-rape-sentence-guidelines-for-under-25s-nmg63n0d2

Also available via https://archive.ph

I should think so too, It is a bloody disgrace and a total miscarriage of justice for the women who were raped.
What kind of mad fool thought this was fair?

So, the age of criminal responsibility is now basically set at 25?! People can achieve PHDs by age 25, and yet not grasp that serious crimes have big impacts on victims & society? And the Scots want to reduce the voting age to 16… well, which is it Scotland… either people are able to evaluate complex ramifications on their conduct and decisions, or they aren’t.

How odd that the Scottish government thinks that people's brains don't mature until they're 25, but children know their own minds without a shadow of a doubt when it comes to declaring themselves trans.

Wait until you find out about Diversion from Prosecution. It's where you get a social worker and therapist for a few months and then get off scot free without any record and is only supposed to be used for low level offending such as shoplifting but its been used for multiple rape cases too

🤬

This thread has many links to cases in Scotland. Most are from the daily record unfortunately however they are the only ones covering this scandal
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4834968-rape-decriminalised-in-scotland?latest=1

The Scottish government openly working in favour of rapists and sex offenders and against the safety of women and girls - by legislation and in the courts.
In. plain. sight.

Well at least this shows that for whatever reason, whether FWR posting about, papersr raising questions, women in Scotland campaigning, they are going to look again at this only at 25+ are you adult enough to be held responsibile.

And as said up thread, if that is in fact true, they how did the Scottish Government vote for 16 years to be allowed to legally change their sex.

Vote, "change sex" 🙄, get married - 16 is well old enough

Understand that no means no/raping is wrong - need to be 25

Glorious Scotland 🤪

I bloody hope they sort this out but once again showing complete & utter ineptitude. Every-bloody- thing needs a "do over" 🤬

Good. There was Hogg, there was Rhys Bennett (who got 24 years but apparently would have had longer but for his age), and I've been wondering what will happen with Amber's Gibson's brother.

It's fucking depressing living in Scotland these days. How in the arse did it come to this.

To be clear, the review is very welcome. The fact that rapists under the age of 25 can currently rape with impunity is not.

By 25 I had a degree, post grad, managerial job, was married with a mortgage. Or does this only apply to men?

This was likely the sentencing judge's plan all along.

If they insist on this nonsensical and dangerous approach to sentencing for U25s, then they should also be looking at raising the age for marriage, joining the army, entering into a contract, driving a car, and voting in elections to age 25.

You can't have it both ways.