Newly released data reveals that, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme in England and Wales, the sentences of 23 convicted child sex offenders were lengthened in the past year. This scheme allows for the review of a crown court sentence if it is perceived as excessively lenient, creating an avenue for potential justice where it may originally have fallen short.
The statistics from the Attorney General’s office indicate that nearly 1,200 cases were flagged for review in 2022. Following inspection, the Court of Appeal reconsidered 139 cases, resulting in extended sentences for 95 individuals. Among those whose penalties were augmented include 23 child sex offenders.
Additional noteworthy amendments included increased sentences for 10 individuals convicted of rape and seven offenders of crimes involving grievous bodily harm.
The most substantial augmentation was afforded to Semi Lave, a resident of Wiltshire. Initially sentenced in February 2022 to a 15-year imprisonment for the rape and sexual abuse of two children, his sentence was considered too lenient. A subsequent appeal led to a substantial increase to 24 years in prison, and an extension of his eventual parole period to six years.
Lee Gibson from Derby, who began abusing a girl when she was younger than 13, also had his sentence extended from 16-and-a-half years to 23 years. Former Radio 1 DJ from Teesside, Mark Page, had an additional six years appended to his original 12-year sentence for attempting to arrange sex with children in the Philippines.
The scope of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme has been expanded in recent years to incorporate more terrorism and sexual offense cases. This expansion extends beyond the ingrained crimes it once covered such as murder, manslaughter, rape, and robbery.
According to Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC, while most offenders are sentenced appropriately, the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme plays a vital role in maintaining public trust in sentencing procedures. The scheme importantly ensures that dangerous criminals, particularly child sexual predators and violent criminals, receive penalties that duly reflect the seriousness of their crimes.
