Rapists and domestic abusers have lenient prison sentences extended under new scheme

The Sun

06-05-2025

RAPISTS and domestic abusers have had years added to their prison terms after being referred for being too lenient, The Sun can reveal.
Violent offenders who abused women have had their sentences increased under a scheme designed to challenge soft punishments.
Data published by the Attorney General's Office shows that out of a total 48 cases heard by the Court of Appeal between January and March 2025, 33 sentences were increased.
Of these 33 sentences, 15 cases related to violent and sexual offences against women and girls.
Nine were drug -related sentences and other offences included robbery, manslaughter, and conspiracy to traffic contraband into prison.
The largest sentence increase was for Rico Persechino who saw his jail term extended by six years after it was referred to the Court of Appeal as part of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Rico Persechino was part of an organised criminal group operating in Surrey that carried out multiple burglaries, a violent assault, and stole more than £215,000 of high-value cars.
Persechino's sentence was increased from seven years' and six months to 13 years' and six months on 13 March 2025 after it was referred to the Court of Appeal.
Others include Stuart Worby, 45, from Dereham, Norfolk who had his sentence increased from 12 years to 17 years after giving a woman medication which caused her to have an abortion.
Ryan Sutton, 24, from Worcester, who groomed and raped a 10-year-old he met on social media had his sentence increased by three years to a total of nine years' imprisonment with a licence extension of 12 months.
Jie Zhang, 42, from West London, had her sentence more than doubled from three years to eight years' imprisonment for leading an international prostitution ring that recruited sex-workers from East Asia and Europe to work in brothels across London.
The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said: 'The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme exists to protect victims, and referrals to the Court of Appeal this year show that more perpetrators of violence against women and girls are being kept in jail for longer.
'As Solicitor General, I will continue to refer cases that are unduly lenient to the courts to ensure that justice is secured, victims in these cases are protected, and that public trust in the criminal justice system can be restored.'