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The Court of Appeal quashed a sentence imposed by the Circuit Criminal Court for multiple counts of sexual assault against a child by her caregiver, following an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions on grounds of undue leniency. The original sentence was four years’ imprisonment with a partial suspension. Upon review, the Court found that the initial sentence substantially underestimated the gravity of the offending, considering the young age of the victim, the significant breach of trust, and the repeated abuse over a prolonged period. The Court, therefore, re-sentenced the respondent to eight years’ imprisonment with no suspension, and imposed post-release supervision, concluding that the previous sentence constituted a serious departure from sentencing norms for such offences.
undue leniency – sentence review – sexual assault – child abuse – position of trust – appeal from Circuit Criminal Court – post-release supervision – victim impact – headline sentence – breach of trust – Director of Public Prosecutions – Criminal Justice Act 1993 – Sex Offenders Act 2001 – sentence quashed – Circuit Criminal Court – Court of Appeal
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