Lenient sentences are putting victims off reporting sex crimes and are sending out the wrong messages, the Rape Crisis Network has warned.

Every society has a set of mores around sex, every society has a code of behaviour and if it is breached there are usually pretty severe consequences.

The outrageous inconsistency of judicial sentencing in sexual offence cases, particularly in a country where sex abuse is endemic, has again been underlined by the latest in a growing litany of shocking decisions by judges.

A judge who controversially jailed a businessman for six years for a garlic import scam has let a sex attacker walk free from court.

A car dealer who sexually assaulted two of his adult nieces has avoided a jail term after the judge said publication of his name will be punishment in itself.