Early release of 228 Scottish sex predators described as ‘shameful betrayal of victims’

More than 200 sex offenders have been released into the community before the end of their sentences, including one rapist who had served almost 40 years in prison.

And a double rapist who was also convicted of indecent behavior towards a teenage girl was also released after serving 19 years in prison.

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In total, 228 sex beasts have been released before the end of their sentences, with the majority released in 2020/21 when 52 were released from prison.

The Scottish Conservatives have criticized the figures and called for all sex offenders to serve their full sentences.

The party’s justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “This is yet another shameful betrayal of victims by the SNP.

“It is common sense that hundreds of these sex offenders should have served their full sentences.”

He added: “Instead, public safety has been put at risk by the SNP’s relentless undermining of a justice system that prioritizes the needs of criminals over victims.

“This sums up how disconnected they are from the real world and the concerns of the victims.”

Probation is when a criminal is released into the community, supervised by a social worker and under key conditions.

If they breach any of the conditions at any time, they can be immediately returned to prison.

The decision to release a person on parole is made when the Parole Board – made up of independent people appointed by Nats ministers – believes that “the risk posed by the offender can be managed in the community”.

In 2020/21, a criminal serving a life sentence after being convicted of sodomy in 1998 was released on parole.

A year later, a scam with a 2003 life sentence for a double rapist and for indecent behavior towards a teenage girl was paroled.

In 2022/23, he was granted a delayed release after serving 21 years to life in prison for two counts of assault with intent to rape, despite initially being released in 2011 and jailed again in 2014.

In 2023/24, a rapist whose sentence began in 1986 – 38 years earlier – was released on parole.

And last year, a beast convicted of two counts of indecent assault who was jailed in May 2008 was released on probation.

So far this year, 18 sex offenders have been placed on probation, compared to 43 in 2023/24, 33 in 2022/23, 48 in 2021/22, 52 in 2020/21 and 34 in 2019/20 .

It comes after hundreds of backlogs were released in early June and July as part of emergency measures aimed at reducing prison tension.

However, Justice Secretary Angela Constance confirmed earlier this month that thousands of contras will see their sentence’s automatic release point reduced from 50% to 40% in a desperate bid to keep prisons sure

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Decisions about conditional license are made by the independent Parole Board, based on evidence from a range of professionals and these decisions focus on the risk that the individual if released.

“Scottish ministers cannot comment on or intervene in the decisions of the parole board.”

A spokeswoman for The Parole Board for Scotland said it did not comment on individual cases.