Victims of sexual abuse forced to ‘suck it up’ for sake of child perpetrators, warns Jess Phillips

Former safeguarding minister calls for sentencing guidelines review and fears crime now seen as ‘content for an eyeball economy’

The former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has said victims of sexual offences committed by children are being asked to “suck it up” for the sake of their attackers’ rehabilitation and called for a review into sentencing guidelines.

In the past month, cases of teenage boys given lenient sentences after being convicted of rape and sexual assault have provoked public outrage.