Sex offenders among 141 people given tougher punishment last year under Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, which lets public appeal to attorney generalA record number of criminals have had their sentences increased after victims and their families complained that they had been treated too leniently. The increased sentences were made as part of the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) procedure, under which the public can ask the attorney general to toughen the sentence of someone prosecuted for a serious crime. The number of cases considered by the attorney general’s office has increased by over 108% since 2010, from 342 to 713 requests in 2015. Of those, 17 sex offenders who originally avoided prison were given jail time. Jeremy Wright, the attorney general, said: “The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme allows victims of crime, their families and the public to challenge sentences that they believe are too low, and last year we saw a record number of sentences increased.

Source: The Guardian July 29, 2017 22:52 UTC