Leeds rape survivor slams 'sickening' proposals to release sex offenders early
She said news of her attacker’s early release is “slap in the face”
A Leeds rape survivor has labelled proposals to release sex offenders earlier as “sickening” after being told her perpetrator could be paroled in the coming months.
The Government recently announced the controversial idea in a desperate bid to free up space in overcrowded prisons.
But the woman, who is in her 30s, is urging Parliament re-think and is calling on people to sign an opposing petition for sex offenders to be exempt from the early-release scheme. So far, it has almost 70,000 signatures.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she received an email out of the blue suggesting her attacker could be released earlier than planned.
The letter, sent by the Victim Contact Scheme, reads: “I understand that receiving this information may be difficult, and we recognise the lasting impact the offence may have had on you. You will receive a further letter about this by the end of August.”
The woman said: “When it was suggested there was talk about serious offenders not being included in this.
“I didn’t think anything of it, but to get this was sickening. I'm just drained by it.
“We are now just going to be left waiting and get told at the end of August.
“After his sentence I got closure and a sense of freedom, but it's terrifying. It makes me feel really insecure and that nobody really cares.”
Her attacker, Jordan Nicholson from Bramley, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in November 2021 after being convicted by a jury.
It was the 33-year-old’s second trial after a verdict was not reached during the first.
Under the law, he was ordered to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole, meaning his earliest possible release date was this November.
Although it would only bring his expected release date forward by just a matter of months, his victim said it’s a dereliction of duty towards sex offenders’ victims.
She said: “They say they need prison space, but who for? What's worse than a rapist?
“When I think of serious crimes I think of murder and rape. It makes me think they are saying it's basically not that serious.
“I had to go through the trial twice because there was a hung jury, and when he got that sentence I was not expecting to be told he could be released earlier.
“Why go through all that process of the justice system for the Government to let him out earlier? It's a smack in the face.”
Under the Government proposals, up to 6,000 serious criminals could be released early this September.
Britain’s prisons are almost working at full capacity and the controversial early-release plans follows a number of other measures already implemented.
This includes extending the maximum sentence that can be suspended from two to three years, and releasing some criminals on licence after serving just 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than at the usual half-way stage.
The latest proposals over sex offenders have come under fire with Labour being accused of having their “fingers in their ears” and ignoring the growing criticism.
A motion was proposed by the Conservatives to ensure serious sex offenders are exempt from early release. It was passed this week with a handful of Labour representatives breaking ranks and offering their support, including East Leeds MP, Richard Burgon.
He said: “The reality is there should not be automatic early release for people convicted of serious sexual crime such as rape. It’s clearly something that should not be happening.
“It’s an extra trauma for victims.
“It’s almost unimaginable how traumatic it must be for a survivor of sexual crime to receive an email out of the blue telling them that their perpetrator maybe automatically be given early release.
“We need to have victims at the centre of our justice system.
“That’s why I was one of a small number of MPs who broke the whip and voted for the motion.
“It’s something that the Government needs to look at. It’s a fact that prisons are overcrowded and that they inherited a prison system in a real mess.
“It’s dangerous for prisoners and staff working there.”