A 16-year-old convicted of rape should, unless the circumstances are truly exceptional, be sentenced to a substantial period of actual detention even after making all allowances for a plea of guilty, absence of prior offending, and a dysfunctional upbringing. The established sentencing range for juvenile offenders who commit rape and plead guilty is three to five years' detention. A perceived 'turnaround' in behaviour that is more hope than demonstrated fact is not a sound basis for avoiding actual detention for serious offences.
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