By Padraic Flanagan
A POLICE force is under fire for letting off more than 600 self-confessed sex offenders – including 11 rapists – with just a caution in the past five years.
The shocking figures from Avon and Somerset Police reveal that the force has issued 611 cautions as punishment for the crimes, that include rape and child abuse, since 2004.
It comes after the Lord Chief Justice earlier this year criticised the massive rise in out-of-court penalties, with a quarter of the 1.3 million crimes solved each year treated with a caution.
These are handed out when guilt is admitted and mean offenders do not go before a court, do not have their names made public and don’t risk going to prison.
Instead, the guilty only receive a conviction against their name and have their DNA and fingerprints taken to keep on record.
Victim support and women’s rights campaigners described the figures as “deeply shocking”. Vanessa Powell, manager of Bristol Rape Crisis, a support service for the victims of crime, said: “Rape and sexual assault are serious offences and have a damaging impact on the women and men that suffer as a result.
“They need justice. What message does this send about the value of victims? I’m disappointed to see the figures are this high and I’d hope they would improve in the very near future.”
Released under the Freedom of Information Act, the figures showed four of the 11 rapists had admitted the rape of a child under 13.
The figures also revealed that 74 sexual assaults on women, seven on men and 28 on children were dealt with by caution.
Four cautions were given for incest or family sexual offences, two for abuse of children through prostitution or pornography and two for sexual grooming. The most cautions, 333 in total over five years, were given to men who admitted soliciting women. The number of cautions has almost doubled, from 46 in 2004 to 87 in 2009.
Sian Norris, of Bristol Feminist Network, said: “I think the main problem in not bringing these people to justice is that women affected often find it difficult to get closure.
“If reporting a rape doesn’t give them the chance to get justice, it also prevents other women from coming forward and having faith in the system. The sheer number of these attacks is shocking, let alone that these are just for those who have been cautioned.”
Detective Inspector Marie Wright, of Bristol CID, said: “Cautions for sexual offences are issued on rare and exceptional occasions in accordance with national guidance.
“There would need to be evidence and a clear admission of guilt, while age, welfare, mental well-being and the views of the victim would be taken into account.”
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