Knocking on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan

[via FoxyTunes / Bob Dylan]

Mr Jack Straw
House of Commons
LONDON
SW1A 0AA

Dear Mr Straw

Mr XXXXXX has very kindly agreed to deliver my letter to you personally.

I am the mother of a 19-year-old boy who was groomed by a paedophile from the age of twelve and then at the age of 14 was abducted and sold at a McDonalds on the M62 for £500 to a national paedophile ring. Approximately 200 members of a paedophile ring subjected my son to multiple rapes over a period two years.
The police only found my son because the man that actually sold him feared for my son's life, informed the police of what he had done and whom he had sold him to. "A touch of remorse from a sex offender does not justify a lenient sentence"?

In addition to the physical injuries sustained he was plied with alcohol and drugs throughout the prolonged attacks.Please may I add only 7 men were brought to justice because of a number of reasons one being lack of police recourses.

I also don't think there is justice in the system when all men pled not guilty until a week before the trial and then changed them to receive a lenient sentence.The case was reported widely when the perpetrators were brought to justice in Leeds Crown Court in 2004.If you wish to find out more about the case you will find it by typing Nathan Eyre into Yahoo search engine.

During the investigation and trial and throughout the intervening years I have found so much that is wrong with the criminal justice system.I understand that changes are made to the law as an ongoing process, according to research and the findings of people who have been a victim of crime or a family member of the victim.My son is not able to communicate on his own behalf and has given his permission for me to carry out all the necessary administration relating to the aftermath of this unspeakable crime

I have summarised my recommendations for the treatment of criminals found guilty of serious sexual assault on a minor.

A judge has condemned the "absurdly limited" jail terms he could impose for men involved in the sexual grooming of a 14-year-old boy who was sold to a national paedophile ring. Mr Justice Holland called on the crown prosecution service to look at the issue. He said the maximum seven-year sentence for people living off the earnings of prostitutes was "quite absurd".

I am still shocked at this statement as to the living of the earnings of prostitutes. This was my child not an adult who had decided to become a prostitute and hired a pimp?

I would like to campaign for the sex offences act 2003 to be amended. As I find it confusing and with discrepancies.The Judge on our case made this statement to the press saying his hands were tied and the sentence did not reflect the crime.

I have learned from being in the criminal justice system and having support from probation services. That as each Sex offender is released; they do not serve their whole sentence? But merely half with the other half on probation.

Another one of my arguments is if there is lack of police recourses to catch them?

I am sure there are not enough resourses to watch them twenty-four hours a day? I would like to see the sentences increased for paedophiles and for crimes against children.

I would like to see the criminal justice system acknowledge the seriousness of these crimes. I have had a conversation on Prison Overcrowding and I will not accept that excuse.I know committing any crime is illegal and punishable. But if you asked any Mother of a child who has been sexually abused "would you rather lock up a paedophile, sex offender or a motor vehicle or council tax offender? You would receive the same answer every time. These children are the Future of Britain and if Britain is failing them whom do they turn to? If one power stood up and said zero tolerance and meant it our world would be a better place.

Thousands of pounds are spent on public awareness on these perpetrators but when they slip through the net and are caught they seem to get a slap on the wrist and its wrong.The human rights of a child have been violated and therefore the human rights of the Offender should be violated too.

Not just the victim suffers in these cases but the families of the victims too.I lost my Childs innocence, My Marriage, My Home and My business. Where is the Justice please?

If I had lost my child forever at least I could grieve for him and in some ways it may have been better? Now we live a life sentence and statistics show most of these children never recover fully even with therapy and love.

Before this happened to us I always thought it happened to children who were neglected and from council estates.We had three children; our own home, my own business and we had never broken the law. But unfortunately I had a child who was bullied at school and was a prime candidate for a predatory paedophile, a friend and an advocate? Who was to tear my son away from me and alienate him from his family?

I live every day with my mistakes as a mother and will die consumed with guilt and remorse, for not only my child but also the child up the street, the child in the next town or city.

One of the Sex offenders in our case was charged on two counts of buggery and one of indecent assault and the judge could only impose a 36-month sentence of which he served 18 months.

Precedence should be established for buggery of a minor. I would like the Sex Offence Act 2003 to be amended to rape of a child under the age of 16 and not 13. I believe it is illegal to have consensual sex under the age of 16 in this country. Then why is there a gap in the law for children between the ages of 13-16? Precedence should be established for buggery of a minor under the age of 16.My son was raped from the age of 12 and at the age of 14 abducted and sold. This law failed us and must fail other families in this country.It is now nearly 2009 and I am pleading with the powers that be, to show compassion for the victims and their families.I think promiscuous behaviour and religion is another issue and should be separated from Paedophilia.

The victim should be allowed to receive therapy in the period leading up to the trial. This should not be used against the victim in a trial.Compensation should reflect the severity of the crime. This I need to elaborate further on As I have been fighting for compensation for my son since 2005 through the Criminal Compensation Board.Not to add my most disheartening case is my civil case through the courts to get compensation for my son and having fought for four years and may end up with large legal costs as the Legal Aid board seem to Fail in their recognition of Paedophile cases too?

The visual identification process of the perpetrator by the victim should be improved.Voice recognition could be used.In my sons case the only identification process was a video screen and my son was angry because most of the rapes were in darkened rooms and the only way he could identify his perpetrators were from their voices or their smells.

I am now a mother of a broken child who has been sectioned under the mental health act three times, that has tried to commit suicide on many occasions and on each occasion one of these men have been released my son has attempted suicide.I have had my child on life support, I have a child whom has been diagnosed as having a personality disorder, had Gonorrhoea, had Chlamydia and three weeks ago was diagnosed HIV Positive with Blood Cancer and he is now Nineteen years old? I am sure you are aware that it is impossible to explain in detail what went wrong and how the system let us down.I hope that by putting these views forward I can help to improve the experience of future victims.I am able, with the help of a voluntary advocate, to communicate further with you or other appropriate agencies, as necessary.I would like to elaborate on my suggestions and findings but appreciate that this initial letter is not the place to do so.

Please advise me as to how I can get my voice heard on these issues.I look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely
A SILENT MOTHER