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Anger over the judge who freed paedophile

Abusers job or title:: English Judge

CHILD protection groups were in uproar last night after a controversial judge freed a convicted paedophile – who then raped a 10-year-old boy.

It is not the first time that Judge Julian Hall has drawn fury over his handling of child sex cases. Last night charity campaigners called for his decisions to be examined by the Attorney General and suggested it was time that he quit or was sacked.

The storm broke after it emerged how offender David Cullen, 48, who has a long record of sex attacks on children and has served time in jail, was allowed back on the streets by Judge Hall.

The serial sex abuser had been in custody since August 2006 on four child sex charges and in January 2007 successfully applied for bail, after his case had been delayed coming to trial. Judge Hall, sitting at Oxford Crown Court, released him – although he could have refused if he thought there were compelling reasons. Within days of his release, Cullen had raped his terrified 10-year-old victim.

Cullen was quickly returned to custody and is currently in jail still waiting for the original offences to be dealt with.

Dr Michele Elliott, chief executive officer of Kidscape, said: “Isn’t it time this guy was taken off the case?

“He has a proven track record of leniency towards paedophiles and of blaming the victims for sex abuse. We’re absolutely appalled.”

She added: “There should be some kind of inquiry into this man’s record. Let him judge a dog show if he likes, but he sure as hell should not have anything to do with children.”

Neil Atkinson, of the National Victims’ Association, said: “We feel very angry that, once again, an innocent member of the public is paying the price for the incompetence of a judge who should know better.”

And Lucy Thorpe, NSPCC policy manager, said: “We are very concerned about cases of sex offenders released on bail only to commit further crimes against children”.

This week Cullen appeared before the same court to admit a further 28 charges -– including the rape of the 10-year-old. He pleaded guilty to sex offences against five boys, including rape, sexual assault, and taking and distributing indecent pictures of children.

Cullen, a former football referee from Oxford, was first jailed in 1996 for molesting a 12-year-old boy. He will be sentenced later this month.

Judge Hall has attracted controversy over his handling of child sex abuse cases. In June he provoked fury for allowing an illegal immigrant to remain in Britain, despite sexually abusing a young girl, because he thought he was “not dangerous”.

Last year he sparked outrage for commenting that a 10-year-old rape victim had dressed “provocatively”. The two-and-a-half year jail sentence he gave her attacker was later doubled by The Court of Appeal.

And last year he set free a 71-year-old paedophile and told him to give his six-year-old girl victim money to “buy a nice new bicycle”.

 Source : https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/68983/Anger-over-the-judge-who-freed-paedophile/amp

Abuser Name or Alias:: Judge Julian Hall

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