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Monday, February 16, 2009

Breakdown in communication all around

Breakdown in communication all around

A man who attacked and sexually assaulted a woman in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, after tricking his way into her home in May last year, has been given a Community Service Order by a judge.

The man who is profoundly deaf and does not understand sign language and has a foreign sounding name, probably failed to understand that his victim did not want sex with him.

Then there is another breakdown in communication between the National Offender Management Service (which the Probation Service now comes under) and the judge, and the judge rightly criticised their incompetence to do their job.

Now, I am not aware of all the facts. And, each case should be treated on its individual merits. Having said that, I do think that someone who tricks their way into a woman's house to attack and sexually assault her might just pose a risk to the public and women in particular. Given that "protection of the public" is what the Government states is what criminal justice is all about, I am left wondering if the judge has lost his senses and failed to communicate with the offender in a language he can understand?

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