Grooming gang victim warned that offenders might enjoy early release

A grooming gang victim has expressed her anger after she was warned that her Bradford abusers might be up for early release.

Fiona Goddard was informed this week about how her perpetrators might benefit from upcoming changes, sparking anger and dismay.

In 2019, seven men were convicted of grooming and sex abuse crimes against several child victims, which included Fiona.

Her distress and concern has led to an intervention from the shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy, who has written a letter to Justice Secretary David Lammy about Fiona’s case and the reforms more generally.

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Under prison reforms introduced by Sir Keir Starmer, thousands of prisoners have been released early from their prison sentences due to overcrowding concerns.

But an update in release dates to the sentencing act, called the progression model, will come into force in September.

Sentences will shift into three stages: custody, intensive supervision and final licence.

Some prisoners will now be released earlier than before the changes, although terrorist offenders and national security perpetrators will not qualify.

Bradford survivor Fiona Goddard, who achieved convictions against several abusers in 2019, received a letter from her victim liaison officer this week.

It informs that she will receive another letter by the end of August with an update.

Ms Goddard has expressed fury at the letter, which she said showed that the Government was not taking grooming gangs seriously.

She said it was a “slap in the face” and that the changes “do not feel like justice".

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Ms Goddard told GB News: “Last June I received a letter saying my abusers were eligible for early release after serving just 50% of their sentence, then less than a year later, after already trying to get my head around them being released at just 50 per cent, I received another letter to say they are now being assessed to be released after serving just 33 per cent of their sentence.

“This was a further slap in the face and does not feel like justice. When I sat in the court and heard sentences between 16 and 20 years handed out, I thought I would have the opportunity to rebuild my life in peace while they served lengthy sentences, now that may not be the case.”

Ms Goddard added: “If I received this letter, how many other rape victims also received this and how many rapists could be let back onto our streets in the following months?”
"I waited years for justice due to failing surrounding grooming gangs and had to fight just to have my case investigated, now the justice I got is being snatched away from me once again."

During a parliamentary debate on the changes earlier this year, the sentencing minister Jake Richards said that offenders who committed “the most serious, heinous crimes” would not benefit from the changes.

In his letter to Mr Lammy, passed to GB News, Tory MP Nick Timothy said that it was an “ordeal itself” that survivors will have to wait months to see if their abusers will benefit from early release.

“It is difficult to overstate the distress this uncertainty will cause victims,” he said.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told GB News that the government was fixing a prison system in crisis.

“This government inherited a prison system in crisis and we are fixing it – building 14,000 more prison places and reforming sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous criminals. Without this decisive action, prisons would’ve run out of space entirely, putting the public at untold risk.

“Under our changes, prisoners who misbehave can face longer behind bars and those convicted of the most serious crimes will be excluded from earlier release. “We’re also strengthening supervision in the community – investing £700m into probation, recruiting 1,300 additional probation officers this year, and ensuring every prison leaver is tagged unless there is clear reason not to.”

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