Fairness

[zoony]

I don't know the ins and outs of it but a Member of Parliament grooms, attacks and sexually assaults a boy of 15 and gets a paltry 18 months, of which he'll likely serve 9/10. This doesn't seem equitable to my mind, you?

[klondike]

Hardly. It should have ended any career too though which is some sort of comfort.

[Michael Rolls]

well, I haven't bothered reading about the case, but that dies seem a bit of a slap on the wrist
Mike

[Diasi]

I don't know the ins and outs of it but a Member of Parliament grooms, attacks and sexually assaults a boy of 15 and gets a paltry 18 months, of which he'll likely serve 9/10. This doesn't seem equitable to my mind, you?

Cassandra can give you chapter & verse on caselaw but I think that there's a scale of sentencing according to the severity of the individual case.

I would think the fact that he's an MP is irrelevant in sentencing terms for this offence but it would be relevant if he'd been the boy's teacher.

[Cassandra]

'Judging' the offence without court notes, or actual attendance of the trial is of course secondary opinion without fact. Broadly speaking there appears to have not been any penetration or specific touching of private parts? But did involve the victim being administered alcohol, the points to consider are;

The victim was under the age of 16
The accused showed no remorse
He put the victim through the trauma of a trial

In mitigation:

This was a first offence
He is a carer for an elderly mother

Therefore sentencing was complicit with;

"Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, s.16, Sexual Offences Act 2003, s.17"

When considering sentencing a Judge must consider

Culpability under the broad headings listed below viz: (please note my comments in italics after the obliques /)

Significant degree of planning / ? But some preparation may have been apparent under cross examination?
Offender acts together with others to commit the offence / No, but abused a level of trust as an MP to gain a controlling position opportunity
Use of alcohol/drugs on victim to facilitate the offence / Yes
Grooming behaviour used against victim / ?
Use of threats (including blackmail) / No
Sexual images of victim recorded, retained, solicited or shared ? / presumed No if no evidence existed to the contrary
Specific targeting of a particularly vulnerable child ? / Not proven
Commercial exploitation and/or motivation / No
Offence racially or religiously aggravated / No
Offence motivated by, or demonstrating, hostility to the victim based on his or her sexual orientation (or presumed sexual orientation) or transgender identity (or presumed transgender identity) / No
Offence motivated by, or demonstrating, hostility to the victim based on his or her disability (or presumed disability)  / No


Maximum: 5 years' custody

To sum up:

I would have given at least a three year sentence maybe, with half on licence. As is he will be in clink for 9 months and then 9 on license. However the true penalty is his deserved stain and the end of a role as an MP. The death of an ego for this type of individual, no matter how hard he tries to deny it, will haunt him forever.

I think the maximum sentence of 5 years should be at least 10, for the more brutal offences. The Law should be 'blind' to the fact that he is a 'public person'.

[Michael Rolls]

Thank you for the explanation, Cassandra - as I mentioned I hadn't read up on the case - still haven't.
Mike

[GrannyMac]

Yes, thanks for the insight Cassandra.

[Alex]

A gay muslim ?  he's gonna have a fun time in jail.

[Cassandra]

Yes, but it should be an open ended affair?

[klondike]

A gay muslim ?  he's gonna have a fun time in jail.

You forgot to mention that he's in for kiddie fiddling. Not sure if that means he will be isolated or in with other kiddie fiddlers. I suspect it will be no fun whatever the answer.

[Jacqueline]

To my mind he is a dirty old peodophile and deserves all he has got and I hope his time in jail is hell.