Scottish Judge Sparks Outrage with Light Sentence for Teenage Rapist

A Scottish judge's decision not to jail a man who raped a 13-year-old schoolgirl when he was 17 has been condemned by rape victims and campaigners. Sean Hogg, who is now 21, was ordered to do 270 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty. The sentence has been described as "an embarrassment to the Scottish justice system" and "inadequate". The judge said that if the offence had been committed by an adult over 25, Hogg would have received a jail sentence of four or five years. New guidelines for sentencing under 25s were introduced in Scotland in January 2022, making rehabilitation rather than punishment a primary consideration.