MINIMUM SENTENCING

That this House expresses concern that the current criminal justice system is still weighted in favour of the offender and not the victim; notes the case of the rapist of a young boy who was sentenced to serve a minimum of six years in prison allowed after appeal to apply for parole after five years; recognises that such serious offences should receive a far longer minimum sentence; and calls on the Government to introduce new legislation imposing longer minimum sentences on serious sex offenders and re-balancing the criminal justice system in order to provide greater protection to the public.