Sentencing in Rape Cases

Prof Cyrus Tata and Dr Jay Gormley (Centre for Law, Crime & Justice, Strathclyde Law School), have, together with Dr Rachel McPherson and Mr Nicholas Burgess (Glasgow Law School) been commissioned by the Scottish Sentencing Council to carry out a review of the state of Scottish and international knowledge about sentencing for cases involving rape or attempted rape.

This work follows Prof Tata's recent quantitative research study (with Ipsos Mori) into public perceptions of sentencing including sexual offence cases, as well as a separate qualitiative study (with ScotCen) examining public attitudes about sentencing specifically in sexual offence cases.

Prof Tata commented:

I am pleased to be asked to undertake this work together with colleagues at Strathclyde and Glasgow Universities. Cases involving rape and attempting rape rightly give rise to particular public concern. Having very recently conducted research into public and victim views, it will be particularly important to see what information is available both in Scotland and across the world about the patterns of sentencing in rape and attempted rape cases.