Ordinary people not judges

Sex offenders are low-life scum who deserve high sentences. However, it seems to me that they often don't get what's rightfully coming for them.

The problem lies with our Judges. They don't understand how offending hurts real people. Our Judges are academics with enormous salaries. They're also old lawyers who have been in the system for decades - a court system insulated from the pain of ordinary people - the true victims of crime.

A case in point, raised in the NZ Herald:

"Walker pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault and two of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, the Christchurch Court News website reported.

Judge Radford said he rejected any suggestion by defence counsel Nick Rout that the offending was less serious because it involved oral sex rather than rape.

...

Judge Radford said the offending fitted into band four of the Court of Appeal's guidelines for sentencing, and started his sentencing calculation at 18 years.

He then allowed a one-third reduction for Walker's guilty pleas and his remorse and sentenced him to 12 years' jail with a non-parole term of six years."

As the victim of this crime, how would you feel if some rapist got 6 years off? That's not justice - that's appalling.

When will our politicians realise that juries - ordinary people aware of how crime hurts them - should decide how low-life scum get treated. Judges are experts of the legal system. But ordinary people are the experts of how society ought to be.