Justice? What Justice?

The lenient sentencing of ex-foster parents (The Lorimers) who sexually and physically abused children in their care in Ayrshire (see previous article for details) raises vital questions about the value that the state places on children in our modern society.
Imagine for a moment that an adult woman had been raped, seriously sexually assaulted and physically assaulted. Do you think for one moment anyone would accept that it was reasonable for the perpetrator of such crimes to be given a community service order rather than a custodial sentence? Imagine further that this criminal had committed his crimes against not one but a number of victims and that these victims had been placed in his charge by the state for him to protect in its name? It is barely conceivable that such a criminal would not face a custodial sentence.
And yet in the Lorimer case all these factors apply. Apart from one of course. In the Lorimer case the victims were not adults but children. Defenceless children. Children who had to suffer this betrayal at the hands of their foster parents. These same children then had to carry this burden into their adult lives until the day came when they were able to summon up the courage and report their abuse.
What message does the lenient sentencing of their abusers give? That crimes against children are not seen as being as serious as those against adults. That if you are a perpetrator against children its better to frighten them as much as you possibly can because then it will be years before they tell and of course the courts will then not treat the matter so seriously.

Think about this. Is this the sort of value we want to place on our children in our modern world?
The sentencing of the Lorimers to Community Service was a disgrace. Please leave your supportive comments. Please e-mail your MSP and demand that they add their weight to calls for an appeal on this sentence. Do it now. Dont collude in sending out the message that our children are not worth protecting by doing nothing.
(See previous story for fuller details, comments and email contacts)