Crime brief

Sexual Offences Act 2003: Definitive Sentencing Guidelines

The Sentencing Guidelines Council has issued definitive guidelines for offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. It is the duty of every court to “have regard” to the guidelines (Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA 2003), s172 ). The guidelines apply to all defendants sentenced on or after 14 May 2007 irrespective of when the offence was committed. The guidelines make clear that there is to be no distinction in relation to penalties for male and female defendants (with the obvious exception of primary offenders in rape cases), and that the gender of the victim will, in most cases, be irrelevant.

Assessing seriousness

The court will consider three factors when assessing the seriousness of the offence: degree of harm to the victim; level of offender’s culpability; and the risk posed to society by the offender.

Harm caused

Courts need to be careful to recognise that harm may