Opinion: Weak justice is no justice

Elliot Ikilei

Justice for victims and protection of the innocent are being denied with recent sentences for violent crime. Our justice system is looking more and more predator-friendly, and the insipid measures by the current Government underline this perverting of justice, bringing greater harm to innocent victims.

Last year an academic of journalism molested an 82-year-old lady inside her rest home. She tried to stop him, but he forcibly kissed her, touched her, pulled his pants down. When help finally arrived they found her wet underwear, incontinence pad and trousers in a rubbish bin. She bravely fought against this predator, but he was just too physically strong. The university academic also told police it was "consensual".

Our justice system is looking more and more predator-friendly ...

He received eight months' home detention. How comfortable.

Last year another predator was sentenced, betraying the difficult and honourable cause of youth work. He groomed a child while being in charge of looking after others, sent her photos of his penis and clips of him masturbating, and even planned activities for other children that enabled his predatory behaviour to have the child perform sexual acts upon him. Weeks before being sentenced, he mocked the victim and victim's family. He was 21 and the child was 12 when contact began.

He received 11 months' home detention and a programme. XBox or PlayStation?
Another sentence from last year was of an abuser who brutally beat his nine-month-old baby so badly that the baby was hospitalised with fractures to cheekbones, a ripped bottom lip, tongue and around the mouth, and eyes so swollen that he could barely open them. The abuser also gave his girlfriend a beating, with a weapon, and kicked her on the ground before demanding she feed the brutalised baby.

He received nine months' home detention and community service. The judge was likely humiliated when the abuser popped off to the pub that very night, with a selfie posted on FB for beating prison time. "Last day at court sweet. Now I can live my life."

Home detentions have been given out for abusing the weak and causing lifelong harm to children, for killing, for brutal and sadistic crimes, yet we seem to be seeing more of these. Why do we not protect the innocent and punish the guilty? Why do we insult the lives of those who have been molested, hurt, killed?

Is home detention being considered when sentencing due to Labour's push towards getting prison numbers lower?

New Conservative will encourage restorative justice while removing discounted sentencing, get rid of concurrent sentences and engage in three-stage sentencing.

We will also fight for increases to maximum sentences for crimes including sexual and violent crime. Protect the innocent, punish the guilty, and only then will we stop the state insulting/traumatising the victims in our community.