F[LAW]ED

'Rape and Recidivism', a stark title designed to draw attention. When we think of sexual offences or rape, we imagine heinous crimes committed by the worst members of society. Some, no many, would argue that rape is a crime worse than murder, as it is effectively a life sentence of psychological and physical trauma for its victims; to which I am inclined to agree. As a result, many believe that life imprisonment is the only form of justice. However, controversially, this is where our mutuality ends, as I disagree. In a recent Crown Court case, a male, who we shall name X, was convicted of historical serious sexual offences against a child. Consequently, he received an extended sentence of twelve years imprisonment and will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole. His actions have changed the life of his victim as she was forced to suffer in silence and alone for years; processing the horrendous and unimaginable psychological trauma she was in...

There is, perhaps, no better place to start a blog underpinned by the notion that the law is flawed, than by starting with Tony Blair's favourite political point scoring phrase, "tough on crime". This phrase is a vote-grabbing tactic that has been deployed by almost every minister seeking to win an election in the last decade, if not longer. Take Boris Johnson for example, during his campaign to become Prime Minister, he promised to get tough on crime, most importantly, to increase the severity of sentences. That is what many politicians believe getting tough on crime means; to increase sentences to ensure that those who commit crimes, from shoplifting a Mars bar to murder, will be incarcerated until the day they die. This idea appeals to the lay person who wishes to feel safe walking down the street at night, and rightly so. However, this ideology of incarceration of low level or non-violent crimes is disproportionate. What do I mean by disproportionate? Disproportionate...