Girl provoked pedophile, sez judge

[5150]

Girl provoked pedophile - judge
From correspondents in London

June 26, 2007
Article from: The Daily Telegraph
* 10-year-old girl was raped and assaulted
* Judge says victim 'dressed provocatively'
* Pedophile will be free in just four months

A PEDOPHILE who raped a 10-year-old girl will be free in just four months after a British judge said his victim had "dressed provocatively".

Window cleaner Keith Fenn, 24, could have been jailed for life after twice attacking the girl in a riverside park.

Judge Julian Hall was at the centre of a storm over the "pathetic" sentence he imposed after hearing the girl had appeared much older than her age.

The same judge caused uproar earlier this year by setting free another paedophile and telling him to give his victim money "to buy a nice new bicycle".

In the latest case, Oxford Crown Court heard harrowing details of the assault on the 10-year-old. She was attacked in a park in South Oxfordshire by Fenn and his accomplice Darren Wright, 34, on October 14 last year.

Fenn removed all her clothes and raped her, then Wright took her to his home and sexually assaulted her.

Yet Judge Hall said the case was exceptional because the "young woman" had been wearing a frilly bra and thong.

The girl has been in local authority care since the age of four.

She was on her own when she met the pair in the street. They went to the park together. The judge said he faced a moral dilemma.

The court heard that the girl regularly wore make-up, strappy tops and jeans.

"It is quite clear she is a very disturbed child and a very needy child and she is a sexually precocious child. She liked to dress provocatively," the judge said.

"Did she look like she was 10? Certainly not. She looked 16."

He gave Fenn concurrent two-year and 18-month sentences but he will be free in just weeks after spending eight months in jail awaiting sentence.

Wright is a free man because he too had served eight months on remand.

Yesterday Dr Michele Elliott, of Kidscape, said: "This is beyond pathetic, it is utterly derisory. For the judge to say that the way she was dressed in any way excuses a 24-year-old man having sex with her is disgraceful and ridiculous."

[muffdiver]

Brutal.....

[fast98dodge]

Pretty fucked up deal...

I don't think it should matter how old she was or how she dressed, rape is rape...

[JCJanko]

Pretty fucked up deal...

I don't think it should matter how old she was or how she dressed, rape is rape...

It's not just rape; it's CHILD rape. Age absolutely DOES matter because children are the weakest among us. At least a grown woman has a chance.

I am one of those people that does believe that women need to be careful about how they dress and act because it helps some idiots turn into monsters, but this was a TEN year old!

However, since this judge has already helped a child rapist before, I am fairly certain this has nothing to do with the way she was dressed at all. I don't care what anyone thinks of Bill O'Reilly, he is dead on regarding this subject...and it obviously is not just happening in the US.

EDIT: My second paragraph does not condone or make any excuses for rapists. I am simply saying a rapist will be more turned on by someone half-naked rather than fully clothed. The rapist should still be prosecuted as hard as anyone. I know someone would jump on this and attack me without actually reading what I wrote, so I'll just cover this now.

[willy4pres]

So does this "judge" think men have no choice but to rape woman that are dressed provocatively?

This is one horrible story.

[loveevhsince79]

He outright states the child has issues so I guess the weakest among us get what they deserve? That would mean all mentally challenged deserve whatever brutally comes their way as well because they don't have the intelligence to fight back? Sounds like the judge needs to be removed for being a moron and the little girl needs help because if she is acting/dressing this way. it could very well be that she been assaulted in foster care.

[jimmy812]

The judge sounds like he is a pedophile and he's protecting one of his own. He's makin' excuses for them, when, in fact, there really are no excuses!!

[ZeoBandit]

The judge sounds like he is a pedophile and he's protecting one of his own. He's makin' excuses for them, when, in fact, there really are no excuses!!

No kidding. WTF is wrong with this judge?

[WinterlessIceness]

No kidding. WTF is wrong with this judge?

He might be an apprentice of the pants-losing judge

[ZeoBandit]

That's gotta be it.

[the_atomic_punks_rule]

And people say America is fucked up...

[billy007]

So when the headline reads "Pedophile forgiving judge provoked angry mob", wonder how that story will end?

[broken combs]

And people say America is fucked up...

Heh.... 'fucked up' exists pretty much everywhere on planet Earth!