A rape crisis charity is “shocked” that a young man has been spared prison for raping a 13-year-old girl and called the sentence “worryingly lenient”, reports Sky News.
Sean Hogg was 17 when he attacked the student at Dalkeith Country Park in Midlothian on a number of occasions between March and June 2018.
At Glasgow High Court on Monday, Hogg, now 21, was given a community restoration order with 270 hours’ unpaid work.
Hogg, from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, was also added to the sex offender register and placed under supervision for three years after being found guilty by a jury.
Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said: “This is an extremely serious case and we are shocked this perpetrator has not received a custodial sentence. Given the gravity of this crime and the fact it was tried at the High Court, this sentence appears to us to be worryingly lenient,” reports Sky News.
New guidelines for under-25 sentencing in Scotland come into force in January 2022.
The Scottish Sentencing Council has recommended a more “individualistic approach”, taking into account the life experiences of the offender.
During Hogg’s sentencing, Judge Lord Lake said that rape was one of the “most serious crimes” and that the consequences of his actions would be “long-lasting” for the victim.
The Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service are considering action.
“As with all cases, the Crown will consider the sentence and give consideration to whether it might be unduly lenient,” a spokesperson said, reports Sky News.
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