Sexual Offences: Children
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to review the sentencing guidelines for under-16s year olds found guilty of rape and sexual assault.
Answered by Jake Richards
Sentencing guidelines are produced by the independent Sentencing Council, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so.
Under the current guidelines, children convicted of rape and sexual assault can be given custodial sentences.
The Lord Chancellor has the power under section 124 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to ask the Council to revise its guidelines, and we keep the possibility of making requests to the Council under active review.
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