Sexual abuse survivor outraged at early release reforms after being told her perpetrator's offences are 'not serious enough' to be excluded

A survivor of sexual abuse has hit out at Prime Minister Andy Burnham after being informed that her perpetrator could still be released despite reforms to the early release scheme.

Speaking to GB News, Vicki Crawford revealed she received a letter explaining that due to the legacy legislation her abuser was convicted under, he could still be eligible for early release.

After an initial pause on the early release of criminals from September, Mr Burnham has confirmed that grooming gang rapists will not be let out before the end of their sentence.

However, the killers of PC Andrew Harper are still scheduled for their early release.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

Ms Crawford explained: "Given that the Government had said it was serious child abuse that they were going to exclude, I'd love to ask Andy Burnham why I've just received a letter saying that the offences that my abuser committed against me are not serious enough.

"And if he was convicted under the latest Sexual Offences Act, he would have been prosecuted for sexual activity with a child. But because it was a legacy Sexual Offences Act, it was indecent assault and he didn't get convicted of child grooming because it wasn't an offence at that point.

"So there's a lot of people receiving letters saying that they're exempt, but in my case, because the legacy legislation was used to prosecute him, he will probably be released."

Ms Crawford expressed her anger at the sentence given to her perpetrator, as it now appears to be deemed not as serious as a grooming gang abuser's or a rapists.

"It would appear that what the Government had done is gone offence by offence, so indecent assault to most people would look quite innocuous, but it amounts to the same thing in my case as sexual activity with a child.

"And it makes me angry that they could do this. And I knew they were going to do it, I predicted it days ago that they would do this. To say I'm incandescent is an understatement, it's disgusting."

Asked by host Martin Daubney whether decisions like this from Andy Burnham make her "lose faith" in the political establishment, she completely agreed.

She said: "Yeah, in a lot of respects, and given how much campaigning I did to get the exemptions, it feels again like another betrayal.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Labour minister skewered after telling GB News early release reforms are as 'far as they can go'
• Andy Burnham accused of 'bunking off for jolly abroad' after just two weeks in No10
• Andy Burnham cedes he 'pushed early prison release to the limits' as PM reveals plan to 'fix crisis'

But I just I despair at the laziness in legislation at the moment. This is pure laziness and just not even thinking outside the box that they wouldn't include legacy sexual offences in the same way that they would apply them as offences, as if they'd happened now or 20 years ago.

"I just cannot express to you how angry I am now."

Expressing her support for other victims and survivors who are affected by the scheme, Ms Crawford stressed how "devastating" the consequences have been for them.

She said: "I want the public to be aware of this, because the way that this entire early release scandal has been handled is just devastating for other victims, and I'm pretty certain there'll be other victims in a similar situation to me who experienced the same offences that are being excluded.

"But 20 years before and finding themselves in the same position that I am, I implore him to look at it again, both Alex Norris and Andy Burnham, to look at what they consider serious sexual child abuse actually is.

"Because when you get seven years for for one count, that is pretty serious, and because of consecutive sentences, it looks like it's not that much, but overall, my abuser was sentenced to 23 years."

In a statement posted to social media, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has assured that the reforms to early release "will make a difference".

He told Britons: "I do not pretend it is a perfect solution or that it goes as far as I would like. My commitment over the months and years ahead is to rebuild our justice system so that it commands the confidence of the public.

"This will not happen overnight and nor without difficulty, but we will deliver a justice system that the British people expect and deserve."

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter