Nearly 300 rapists sexually assaulted another victim within five years of prison release
NEARLY 300 rapists have gone on to sexually assault another victim after being released from prison in the last five years, The Sun can reveal.
Campaigners have slammed the justice system for treating sex offenders “lightly” after figures showed one went on to attack again despite having three similar convictions.
It means repeat rapists are carrying out one attack every week on average and comes after figures show sex attacks are at their highest in a decade.
Last year saw the police in England and Wales log a total of 57,204 rape attacks, almost treble the 20,751 recorded five years ago.
The issue was highlighted when black cab rapist John Worboys had his release from prison overturned by the High Court.
David Spencer, Research Director at the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “While the criminal justice system treats such offences lightly, they always have a devastating effect on victims and a sentencing review is long overdue.
“There should be a presumption that those convicted of rape and sexual assault should serve their full sentence.
“Once they are released, monitoring needs to be improved to try and bring down the number of repeat offences currently being seen.”
WHO THE REPEAT RAPISTS ARE
There were 48 repeat rapists last year including one with previous sex assault convictions and another with three previous.
On top of those were 73 men who committed rape after having a different type of sex offence on their record.
And on top of the 63 repeat rapists in 2017 were 124 men who had previous for violence.
Among the repeat rapists is Ashley Shuck, 24, from Worcester, who was jailed for eight years for a rape offence in 2012.
But he was released in 2016 and within weeks went on to rape and kidnap a 77-year-old woman, and also sexually assault a woman in her own home.
Carl Bishop, 40, who groomed a schoolgirl and plied her with drink to have unprotected sex in 2015 – ten years after he was jailed for raping a woman.
And Alan Weston, 55, kidnapped a 15-year-old schoolgirl and raped her in his van in 2007 after his release for raping a woman at gunpoint.
Politician John Marek blasted the government at the time saying: “I don’t think that this person should have been allowed out.
“He was clearly a danger, it was known and it was a fault with our system of sentencing.”
It comes after it was revealed 83 sex offenders carried out further attacks while on licence following their release from prison.
most read in uk news
Officials at the Ministry of Justice admitted they were all considered so serious that a review of each case was carried out.
Tory MP Priti Patel, who uncovered the data in a parliamentary written answer, said at the time: “The criminal justice system is failing to protect victims and the public from dangerous and vile sex offenders.
“The courts need to impose longer and tougher sentences on sex offenders and there needs to be a full review of the system of releasing offenders early under licence.”
- GOT a news story? RING us on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]