A sentence of 54 months' imprisonment on a single charge of indecent assault (involving contact by hand and mouth with the outside of the victim's vagina, of short duration, without significant violence, and where the offender voluntarily desisted) was manifestly excessive even where the offender had a prior conviction for rape and was assessed as a moderate to high risk of reoffending. The appropriate range for such offending, even with significant aggravating features, was substantially below four and a half years. Sentencing statistics showing only one sentence of between four and five years out of 111 offenders sentenced for indecent assault as a principal offence warranted close attention.
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