The grooming gang members and paedophiles set for early prison release by Labour
Grooming gang members, a serial paedophile and other child sex offenders could be eligible for early release from prison under a Labour scheme, despite the government's recent pledge to exclude such criminals. Justice Secretary Andy Burnham announced this week that those convicted of rape, child sex offences and grooming would no longer qualify for early release, but it has since emerged that this exclusion will not apply to offences committed before the law changed in 2003, even where the offender was convicted more recently. This loophole means a number of serious child sex offenders may still walk free early, undermining the government's stated aim of tightening the scheme.
The gap stems from the Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced under Sir Tony Blair's government, which created new anti-grooming laws and the offence of sexual activity with a child, replacing a range of older offences. Because Burnham's new exclusions are tied to offences under the 2003 framework, historic cases prosecuted under older laws fall outside the protection. The article cites the case of Vicki Crawford, who was 14 when attacked in the late 1980s, with her attacker, Melvyn Little, jailed for seven years after a later conviction.
- Some grooming gang members and paedophiles remain eligible for early release
- Labour's new exclusion only covers offences committed after 2003
- Loophole means historic sex offence cases are not covered by the ban
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Grooming gangs are groups of men who have been convicted of sexually abusing children, often through a pattern of befriending and manipulating victims before the abuse began. Several such cases, along with other serious child sex offences, have led to long prison sentences in England and Wales, with early release rules for these prisoners becoming a matter of political debate.
Andy Burnham, the Justice Secretary, this week said rapists, child sex offenders and groomers would be barred from qualifying for early release from prison, a change presented as a toughening of sentencing policy. However, that exclusion only applies to offences covered by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, a law passed under Tony Blair's government that created new offences such as sexual activity with a child and specific anti-grooming provisions, replacing older legislation.
Because the exclusion is tied to that 2003 law, offenders convicted of similar crimes committed before it came into force are not covered, even if their conviction happened much more recently. This means some serious child sex offenders sentenced under older laws could still become eligible for early release, which is why the scope of Burnham's pledge has come under scrutiny.