Grooming gang victims warn early release of abusers could leave them at ‘direct danger’ of retaliation

Women who survived grooming gang abuse have warned they face serious danger after being told their abusers could be released early from prison.

Victims have received official letters informing them that men convicted of abusing them may qualify for early release under the Sentencing Act 2026, legislation introduced by the Government to tackle prison overcrowding.

Several survivors fear they could face retaliation if their attackers are released back into the community.

The Conservatives have tabled a motion for debate today calling on ministers to exempt rapists, paedophiles and grooming gang members from automatic early release provisions.

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The debate comes as victims speak out about the devastating impact the notifications have had on their sense of safety.

Under the new legislation, some offenders will spend significantly less time behind bars depending on their sentence type.

Certain prisoners will now serve just 33 per cent of their sentence in custody, down from the previous thresholds of 40 or 50 per cent.

Others will serve 50 per cent of their sentence rather than the previous 67 per cent.

The remainder of their sentence will be served in the community under what the Government describes as "intensive" supervision, including electronic tagging.

Crucially, the changes apply retrospectively, meaning offenders already in prison could have their release dates brought forward.

As a result, survivors have received official notifications warning them that the men who abused them may soon be released.

One survivor, using the pseudonym Erin, said she felt "punished and terrified all over again" after learning her abusers could be freed early.

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"Hearing that the men who abused me may be released early has completely broken my sense of safety," she told The Times.

"My family and I still receive active threats from these men and their families to this day."

She warned: "If they are released early, our lives will be in direct danger. It is deeply wrong that this country is allowing dangerous men back on to the streets, where they can harm women and children, while survivors are left to live in terror."

Another victim, Jessica, said the news left her feeling "worthless all over again" and as though her safety did not matter.

She fears she will have to move away if her abuser returns to the community.

"It's just so unfair that they're not even going to serve the sentence that was handed to them, when I've got to serve a full life sentence," she told the newspaper.

Jessica revealed she broke down in tears after receiving the notification letter, after her case took eight years to reach court and she has only been out of the legal process for two years.

"They might not even serve eight years," she said.

Sarah Wilson, whose abuse began when she was just 11 years old, said the prospect of early release felt as though her fight for justice had been "thrown back into my face like it was all for nothing".

Wilson endured three criminal trials as part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, which resulted in seven men receiving combined prison sentences totalling 125 years.

"I'm scared that in a couple of years I could potentially see some of my perpetrators will be back on the same streets they abused me on," she said.

"I'm scared of the repercussions - these are some of the most dangerous to walk our streets."

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “It is frankly disgusting that convicted rapists, paedophiles and grooming gangs are being let out early by Labour.

"We warned the Government their sentencing bill would do this, but they didn’t listen. Now even Andy Burnham is saying he wants to change the law so groomers and rapists aren’t eligible for early release.

“If Labour MPs want to show they understand the fury that many people feel about this situation, they should vote for the Conservative Party’s motion and keep vile sex offenders behind bars.”

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