Jade Belgrove, a woman who was groomed and raped as a child by a family friend, has publicly condemned outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over plans to release thousands of serious offenders early, calling the policy an "absolute disgrace" that endangers women and children.
Victim's Warning to Starmer
Ms Belgrove, now 30, waived her anonymity to speak out against the Government's early release scheme, which she says will put rapists and sex offenders back on the streets prematurely. She urged Starmer to consider his legacy, stating: "I'd encourage Mr Starmer to consider whether putting people in danger is really how he wants to be remembered?"
The scheme, expected to begin in September, aims to combat prison overcrowding by allowing offenders to be released at the halfway point of their sentence instead of the current two-thirds. Ms Belgrove described the plan as "disgraceful" and warned it will put women and children at risk.
Her Rapist's Reduced Sentence
Simon Tyler, who was 24 when he assaulted Ms Belgrove, was jailed for nine years in November 2024. He was originally set to be released in 2030 after serving six years. However, under Labour's early release scheme, Tyler will be eligible for freedom in 2028 after serving just half his sentence—four and a half years.
Ms Belgrove said the two rapes she suffered at age 14 left her with a "life sentence," while her attacker receives "a slap on the wrist." She added: "I live every day with what he did to me. And he gets four years for it, which is nothing. I get a life sentence. He gets a slap on the wrist."
Petition and Political Response
Ms Belgrove launched an online petition on June 15 that has garnered over 62,000 signatures. This week, MPs voted to back a Conservative motion against the change, but the vote is non-binding and the government has not altered its course.
The Conservatives are demanding Labour's 2026 Sentencing Act be rewritten to exclude rapists, paedophiles, and grooming gang members from early release at the halfway point. Andy Burnham, the prime minister-in-waiting, is reportedly "exploring" whether legislation can be amended to prevent the release of child rapists and groomers.
Impact on Victims and Public Safety
Ms Belgrove, now a mother of five, expressed deep concern for her children's safety: "It scares me so much that so many predators and paedophiles are getting out, which scares me for my children's future because they're just back on the street again."
Her rapist, a friend of her father's, began grooming her at age 12 by buying her cigarettes and alcohol, acting "like a cooler older brother" before the assaults began. The early release scheme, she says, has put "fire in my belly" to campaign for policy reversal so that "he does the full sentence that I was promised in a court of law that he would do."
