The available information is provided in the following table. Data on tariffs for life or indeterminate public protection sentences for rape could currently be provided only at disproportionate cost, though I have asked officials for advice on whether future arrangements for the economic collection of this data are feasible.
When calculating average custodial sentence length only determinate custodial sentences are included. This may have the effect of making the average custodial sentence length (ACSL) appear lower for offences where a larger proportion of offenders are given indeterminate sentences.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Rape of a female under 16 88.6 91 91.8 95 94.1 97.1 99.8 95.4 93.3 108.2 110.7 Number of determinate sentences 209 224 188 160 208 235 251 208 189 196 198 Number of indeterminate sentences 7 18 10 14 6 12 16 16 26 35 35 Rape of a female over 16 78.7 78.8 81.5 77.9 83.2 85.3 77.7 82.2 79.8 77.9 80.6 Number of determinate sentences 287 231 245 238 258 261 285 292 264 253 278 Number of indeterminate sentences 28 32 26 28 26 27 34 41 112 115 94 Rape of a male under 16 96 76 67.5 79.7 84.4 85.2 84.5 84.5 81.4 88.5 100.2 Number of determinate sentences 12 30 18 19 26 25 22 26 7 12 9 Number of indeterminate sentences 2 2 4 4 4 2 2 2 7 8 4 Rape of a male over 16 69 65 90.5 85.5 73.7 69 100.5 69 77.1 99.6 75.3 Number of determinate sentences 10 6 12 14 7 4 8 12 13 9 9 Number of indeterminate sentences 2 2 0 4 2 2 2 2 6 7 2 Rape of a female under 13 by a male2 — — — — — — 57 58.8 75.2 73.5 97.7 Number of determinate sentences — — — — — — 4 41 46 57 92 Number of indeterminate sentences — — — — — — — 4 21 16 32 Rape of a male under 13 by a male2 — — — — — — — 49.8 47.5 50.3 74.8 Number of determinate sentences — — — — — — — 10 13 18 13 Number of indeterminate sentences — — — — — — — — 6 10 9 1 Average custodial sentence length excludes life/indeterminate sentences. 2 Enacted as distinct offences by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 from 1 May 2004 with no equivalent offence under the 1956 Act.