The Reform UK party has announced a hardline policy to introduce mandatory 'whole life' sentences for anyone convicted of raping a child. The party's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, stated that under these plans, offenders would spend the rest of their lives in prison with no possibility of parole.
A New Sentencing Regime for Heinous Crimes
Under the proposed policy, judges would be required to impose a whole life order for convictions of child rape. This differs significantly from the current system where life sentences are discretionary, with offenders often serving a minimum term before being considered for release.
According to Ministry of Justice data from 2024, there were 677 convictions for the rape of children under the age of 16. The new rules would also apply to historic child sexual abuse cases, ensuring what the party calls "proportional" sentencing for past crimes.
Currently, sentencing guidelines for raping a child under 13 suggest a range of six to 19 years, with life imprisonment at the judge's discretion. Reform UK argues this has led to inconsistent and often lenient punishments.
Whole Life Orders: The Ultimate Punishment
A whole life order is the most severe sentence in the English and Welsh justice system. Unlike a standard life sentence, it means the offender will never be considered for release, except possibly on compassionate grounds.
As of March 2025, the Sentencing Council reported there were 70 prisoners serving whole life orders. Notable recent recipients include child serial killer Lucy Letby, Wayne Couzens who murdered Sarah Everard, and terrorist Ali Harbi Ali who killed MP Sir David Amess.
Reform UK has stated that the capacity for these new sentences has been factored into its broader prison policy. This includes plans to deport foreign criminals and construct new 'Nightingale' prisons to increase capacity.
Political Condemnation and Government Response
Unveiling the policy, Zia Yusuf launched a fierce attack on both the Conservative and Labour parties. "For too long, Conservative and Labour governments have failed to protect our children," he said.
He highlighted that under recent Conservative governments, the average sentence for raping a child under 13 had fallen to around nine years, with some grooming gang members receiving sentences as low as four years. He also accused the current Labour administration of releasing violent offenders early from prison.
In response, a Government spokesperson defended the existing judicial framework, stating: "While sentencing sits with the independent judiciary, judges can and do hand down long terms, including life sentences, for these sickening criminals."
The spokesperson pointed to ongoing reforms, including a new legal duty to treat grooming as an aggravating factor in sentencing and the work of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, which is now underway.
