Young rapists get community sentences

THOUSANDS of young thugs convicted of sex offences and violence get off with community sentences, shock figures reveal.

Less than half are locked up, despite the seriousness of their crimes.
The revelations will fuel fears teenage louts get off lightly.

A total of 860 young offenders were sentenced for sex attacks in 2006, but 474 – 55 per cent – were given community sentences.

A further 15,016 under18s were found guilty of violent offences, but 8,372, or 56 per cent, got off with a community sentence.


When will the government actually start being tough on crime? These people should be in prison. It doesn’t matter if they are young. Community punishments are still just a slap on the wrist.

There are far too many children that are let off to easily and we are supposed to believe that thousands of children are needlessly criminalised. If anything there aren’t enough children that are criminalised. They should be punished harshly.