I am disgusted with our legal system

[Dutchie]

DutchNews.nl - Swim teacher faces ten years in prison

How absurd is this sentence.
I thought that a prison sentence was supposed to be a deterrent.

What would have happened to this guy in the US? Surely not this kind of leniency.

Yesterday at a birthday party we were discussing this and other sentences imposed here.

I am shaking my head in disgust.

[frugalwarrior2]

1st off sex offenders always reoffend. They are compusively driven. I'm not sure how long but if he wasn't killed in prison,he is on a public list when he gets out. Watchdog.com. He must also register where he lives.

[layman75]

Here in Utah, there is a serial rapist that the judge said he can't give him a long sentence (over a year) because of his mental state. So they are smacking him on the hand and releasing him into the general population again. This is a really scary thing to watch.

[bonnotsm9]

In the US the sentencing would depend on where the case was tried since the states try their own cases unless the Feds have jurisdiction. This doesn't look like a case where the federal govt. would be trying it had it occurred in the US. Meaning, how severely or not he would be punished would depend on the judge and state laws where he was sentenced. Some places he'd get off easier than others.

I'm heartsick for his victims. I have a handicapped daughter.

[fernykins]

Here in the states asault on a disables person carries
a longer sentence
Fern

[mauimagic]

That is soooo depressing.

[MomToTwoBoys]

You should see how it is here in Canada. About 95% of the crimes I hear that go to trial give the guilty smaller sentences than they deserve. It's appauling.

[Ramona]

Dutchie, that's is disgusting. I think sex offenders should get life without parole. Lock 'em up and throw away the key.

[mndtrp]

The US can be that lenient, yes. Not always, but often enough that I read about the results.

[greekislandgirl]

For one thing, in the US, the name would be printed in the media, not given as "L". So at least you could do a google search on the name if you were thinking of sending your child to swimming lessons with this guy a few years from now when he's back out.

No comment on the sentence.

[Pemberleyan]

I think the most absurd thing of all is a report predicting that he won't offend again!!!

I believe we actually have a lot more sex offenders in the states than we appear to have (based on sex offender lists) because of the way the system works. I can only speak for one state system in which I worked, but I assume this is fairly prevalent. Only a small percentage of criminal cases are tried; most are plead to. Say someone gets charged with burglary. His case comes up on the criminal docket along with dozens of other cases/offenders. His attorney negotiates a deal with the DA and his charge is lessened to a misdemeanor, say something like "receiving stolen property 3rd."

The same thing happens in sex crimes, especially because of the sex offender label/lists. The defense attorney's goal is to get the charge lessened so that the criminal stays off "the list."

[mndtrp]

When peeing outside can get you on a sex offender list, something's wrong.

[Pemberleyan]

When peeing outside can get you on a sex offender list, something's wrong.

I've not heard that one before, but I certainly believe there are circumstances which shouldn't cause someone to be put on the list. For instance, a teenage boyfriend and girlfriend whose ages make sex between them a crime -- it seems extreme to me to put the boy on a sex offender list, but I guess there has to be an age component to the law.

[greekislandgirl]

Pemberleyan, that's what the Romeo & Juliet laws are for - to protect people whose relationships changed legal status when one of them had a birthday (i.e., two 17-year olds in a relationship one day, one 17 y/o and one adult in a relationship the next).