My rapist got community work while I have a life sentence

Judge Ian Lawrie ordered him to pay costs of £4,380 and said he needed to be sentenced as a child due to the age he was at the time of the offence.

Woodall’s defence barrister told the court he was a relatively young 16-year-old at the time of the offences, with “limited previous relationships” with girls.

The victim said this excuse was “disgusting and insulting”.

“It just sends the message that if you are inexperienced in life, then you can get away with a crime with just a slap on the wrist,” she said.

“I was 17 at the time – 99% of us at that age were inexperienced, and 99% of us haven’t raped someone and used that as an excuse,” the woman added.

The sentence was then referred to the Attorney General’s office, which rejected a request that it be referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

A spokesperson for the office said the case had been considered very carefully and added that their thoughts were with the victim.

“A referral can only be made if a sentence is not just lenient but unduly so, such that the sentencing judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence outside the range of sentences reasonably available in the circumstances of the offence.

“The threshold is a high one, and the test was not met in this case,” they said.