Sexual Offences: Sentencing David Simpson To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2010, Official Report, columns 512-14, on sexual offences, in respect of each category of offence, (a) what the average length of custodial sentence was, (b) how many custodial sentences were handed down and (c) what the (i) longest and (ii) shortest custodial sentence for each category of offence was. Paul Goggins The following tables document the number convicted, the number sentenced to immediate custody and the average, the shortest and longest custodial sentence length (in months) given for serious sexual assault offences broken down by offence. Data cover the calendar years 2004 to 2006 and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence for which an offender is convicted is included. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||Sentence length (in months)1| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Offence |Number convicted|Number given immediate custody|Average|Shortest|Longest| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Rape2 |15|15|119|48|Life| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Attempted rape |3|3|104|48|144| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Gross indecency with child |3|3|17|12|20| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Buggery with male person, 16 years or over without consent |0|0|—|—|—| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Buggery with boy under 16 years of age |6|4|113|60|168| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Buggery with a woman |1|1|72|72|72| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Buggery with a girl |1|1|24|24|24| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 14 years |4|3|20|6|30| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 17 years |2|0|—|—|—| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Incest by man on female |0|0|—|—|—| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Forcibly abducting a female with intent to carnally know her |0|0|—|—|—| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indecent assault on female3 |57|19|21|2|60| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indecent assault on male |17|9|15|3|36| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indecent assault on female child |3|2|18|12|24| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indecent assault on male child4 |4|2|48|48|48| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1. Sentence lengths have been rounded to the nearest whole number.2.The average sentence length excludes the one offender sentenced to life imprisonment.3. Sentence length information excludes one offender sentenced to a juvenile justice centre order.4. Sentence length information excludes one offender sentenced to a juvenile justice centre order.| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- |2005 | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||Sentence length (in months)1| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Offence |Number convicted|Number given immediate custody|Average|Shortest|Longest| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Rape |4|4|105|48|144| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Attempted rape |4|4|81|60|120| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Gross indecency with child |6|3|14|8|24| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Buggery with male person, 16 years or over without consent |0|0|—|—|—| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Buggery with boy under 16 years of age |1|1|96|96|96| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Buggery with a woman |0|0|—|—|—| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Buggery with a girl |0|0|—|—|—| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 14 years |3|3|17|14|18| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 17 years |4|0|—|—|—| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Incest by man on female |1|1|36|36|36| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Forcibly abducting a female with intent to carnally know her |0|0|—|—|—| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indecent assault on female |51|21|29|3|84| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indecent assault on male |11|4|38|9|96| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indecent assault on female child |18|13|27|6|66| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indecent assault on male child |5|3|45|8|78| -------------------------------------------------------------------- |1. Sentence lengths have been rounded to the nearest whole number.| -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2006 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |||Sentence length (in months)1| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Offence |Number convicted|Number given immediate custody|Average|Shortest|Longest| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Rape |11|11|125|48|180| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Attempted rape |0|0|—|—|—| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Gross indecency with child |5|3|32|18|54| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Buggery with male person, 16 years or over without consent |0|0|—|—|—| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Buggery with boy under 16 years of age |3|3|125|108|144| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Buggery with a woman |0|0|—|—|—| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Buggery with a girl |0|0|—|—|—| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 14 years |3|2|42|36|48| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 17 years |5|4|13|8|24| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Incest by man on female |1|0|—|—|—| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Forcibly abducting a female with intent to carnally know her |0|0|—|—|—| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Indecent assault on female2 |73|41|29|2|96| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Indecent assault on male |8|4|31|6|72| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Indecent assault on female child |2|1|12|12|12| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Indecent assault on male child |0|0|—|—|| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |1.Sentence lengths have been rounded to the nearest whole number2 Sentence length information excludes one offender sentenced to a juvenile justice centre order| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------