Labour slams 'postcode lottery' for victims of crime and 'soft' rape sentences
Labour has condemned a ‘postcode lottery’ for victims of crime, after research found wildly different outcomes on reviews of ‘soft sentences’ in different regions.
It comes as new research by the party found almost 4,000 rapists had been handed short jail terms since the Tories came to power.
Some 3,876 adult rapists received a jail sentence of less than seven years since 2010.
Labour said they would punish rapists by introducing a seven-year minimum sentence.
Since 1989, the Unduly Lenient Sentences Scheme has allowed victims of crime, their families, and other concerned members of the public to submit cases to the Attorney General if they believe the original sentences are too lenient.
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The Attorney General then has the power to refer those cases to the Court of Appeal.
From 2020 to 2022, around 1,912 eligible cases were submitted to the Attorney General for consideration - with about 1 in 5 referred to the court.
But that average success rate of 1 in 5 hides major variations in different parts of the country, with several cities, towns and regions below half the national average.
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The party has unveiled a ramped-up focus on crimeOf a combined 60 cases from the crown courts in Hull, Swindon, York, Harrow and Hove - not a single one was referred.
And of 105 cases from Wales, just nine succeeded - with all 20 cases from Swansea rejected.
Of 62 eligible cases submitted from Liverpool, just six succeeded.
By contrast, the overall rate for courts in London was 23% - much higher than the national average.
Labour’s Shadow Attorney General, Emily Thornberry, said the wide variation in referral rates across different regions "is turning the public’s last hope of justice into a postcode lottery."
She added, "For the victims, families and communities who put their faith in this scheme, it is unacceptable that their chances of success are being affected by where in the country they live."
Among the criminals rejected for review was Nathan Booth, a serial violent offender given a 10-year sentence at Lincoln Crown Court in November 2020 for the savage assault and rape of a woman.
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Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry (Getty Images)That followed two previous convictions for grievous bodily harm, including a sentence of 5 years and 9 months in 2013 for a string of brutal and unprovoked attacks in the city, including on a young woman and a 14-year old boy.
John Owen was jailed for just six years and two months in October 2022, after killing six-year old Sharlotte Naglis while driving on the pavement in Norton Green, Stoke-on-Trent, in June 2021. His case was also rejected
Oliver Smith who was jailed for just three years for a string of sexual assaults on women and girls in Swansea over a two-day period in February 2021, was also rejected for review.
Bill Platt, a former firefighter, was spared jail and given a suspended sentence of 20 months in April 2022 after he admitted downloading more than a million indecent images of children.
And Thomas Harrison, an adult nurse caught plotting online to have a baby brought to his home and abused in front of him, who received a 2-year jail sentence in October 2020 at Liverpool Crown Court.
Both of their cases were rejected after being submitted under the scheme.
The number of cases submitted to the scheme has increased in recent years, but the rate of referrals to the Court of Appeal has plummeted.
In 2022, only 18.65% of eligible cases were referred, down from 24.17% in 2021 and 29.17% between 2015-18.
Among the rejected cases between 2020-22 were 161 murder cases, 131 manslaughter cases, and 88 cases of causing death by dangerous or drunk driving.
Additionally, 195 cases of rape or sexual assault, including 58 against children, and 218 offences involving sexual activity with children or indecent images of children were rejected.
Ms Thornberry accused the Tories of being "missing in action in the fight against crime, letting criminals off, and letting victims down." She pledged that under a Labour government, the party would "prevent crime, punish criminals, and protect every community."
The party's ramped-up focus on crime stats prompted a backlash this week.
An online ad claiming Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison was branded a "stunt" and "disrespectful."
But Ms Thornberry defended the ad - telling the BBC 's Any Questions: BBC Radio 4's Any Questions: "I heard a lot of people criticising it, and a lot of people who I like and respect criticising it and saying they felt very uncomfortable about it. Some people said that they thought it was racist.
"I have to say, I think they're wrong. I just disagree with that. I think the truth is we do need to have a debate in this country, and Rishi Sunak is the Prime Minister and he is responsible for a broken justice system."
Asked if she genuinely thinks Mr Sunak held these views, Ms Thornberry responded: "If he believes that everyone responsible for child abuse should get a custodial sentence, why are so many not getting a custodial sentence?
"He is the Prime Minister and that is a legitimate question for the Opposition to ask."
The Attorney General’s Office said sentencing was “a matter for judges, with all the facts of each case before them.”
A Conservative Spokesperson said: “Labour voted against tougher sentences for rapists. Keir has distinguished himself only by seeking to keep more foreign sex offenders in Britain by blocking deportation flights.”
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