Where delay in prosecution is explained by the victim's understandable reluctance to come forward (analogous to delayed reporting in child sexual abuse cases), general deterrence retains its importance as a sentencing consideration; it is only where delay is solely attributable to the dilatory behaviour of investigators or the prosecuting authority that the professed importance of general deterrence is contradicted. In cases involving both victim-attributable and investigative delay, the court must assess the entirety of the circumstances. The two-edged nature of 'lost youth' — loss of youth sentencing options but gain of demonstrated rehabilitation — should be considered in historical offending cases.
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