Rejected petition Harsher sentencing and mandatory prison for all child sexual abuse

Introduce mandatory custodial sentences for all child sexual abuse offences, including child abuse image offences, and end the use of suspended sentences. Ensure harsher punishments for all pedophile cases, prioritising child protection and victim justice over offender mitigation.

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People convicted of child sexual abuse, including making, possessing, or distributing indecent images of children, are given suspended or minimal sentences. These crimes are not victimless—every image and offence represents a child being abused. Lenient sentencing fails victims, prioritises offenders over children, and undermines public confidence. Children deserve real protection, and offenders should face harsher punishments in all pedophile cases, reflecting the severity of their crimes.

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.

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You may wish to sign the following petitions, which call for similar action:

Review punishment of Child Sex Offences
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/746131

Set mandatory minimum sentences for all child-related offences
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/746956

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.

Date submitted 29 January 2026
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