Canberra prosecutors say the prison sentence handed to a chronic paedophile who sexually assaulted a three-year-old girl was ''manifestly inadequate'' and confirmed they have challenged the decision.
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The appeal mirrors the angry public reaction to the punishment meted out to Shane Williams, 40, sentenced on Wednesday to 7½⁄ years' jail, with a non-parole period of 4½⁄ years, for the attack that took place while the girl's mother used a computer nearby.
The sentence included a term of imprisonment for a racist bashing that occurred last year. Williams will be eligible for parole in March 2018 but his release will be subject to a decision by the Sentence Administration Board.
ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Jon White said on Friday his office would appeal against the sentence. ''The DPP has lodged an appeal against the sentence imposed on Mr Shane Williams on the ground that the sentence is manifestly inadequate,'' he said. ''As the matter is now before the court, there will be no further comment.''
The Canberra community reacted angrily to what it viewed as a lenient penalty, with a mothers group calling on the ACT government to toughen sentencing for child sex offences.
A group called the Canberra Mums started an online petition that said: "Protect Our Children - Canberra's sex offender laws and soft sentencing need to be fixed now!"
The page had surged past 8000 signatures by Friday afternoon.
The wave of support surpassed the targeted 5000 supporters that would trigger the petition being presented to ''every official and government representative in Canberra and the federal government''.
ACT Law Society president Martin Hockridge acknowledged the sad circumstances of the case but said the territory had comprehensive laws to deal with offences against children and the sentencing of offenders.
Mr Hockridge said the legislature set the maximum penalty for offences and the court then imposed a sentence.
The courts were required to ''take into account many factors, including the factual circumstances, the impact on the victim and any mitigating information concerning the offender, and come to a considered conclusion regarding the appropriate penalty'', he said.
''In circumstances where the prosecution takes the view that a sentence is insufficient an appeal can be lodged, allowing the sentence to be reviewed."
Victims of Crime commissioner John Hinchey, the head of the ACT's largest victim support agency, said the crime must have had a ''horrific'' impact on the victim and her family.
But he cautioned the public against reacting to the judge's decision, without knowing the full circumstances of the case.