The Attorney General's Office has confirmed a review of the 15-month jail sentence handed down to former BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall for indecent assault following a number of complaints and a furious Twitter backlash.
Hall, 83, was sentenced for 14 offences against 13 girls committed between 1967 and 1987, with one of his victims just nine years old. The length of his sentence was met with surprise, which quickly turned to anger, and prompted Labour MP Emily Thornberry to write to the Attorney General and request the case be referred to the Court of Appeal.
The Attorney General's Office confirmed a short time later that it would examine the sentence.
Channel 4 News journalist Alex Thomson and Labour's Harriet Harman took to Twitter alongside members of the public to express concern at the sentence.
So the Stuart Hall judicial message is: get away with it for long enough and you'll pretty much get off. Justice for the 9yo Your 'Honour'?
— alex thomson (@alextomo) June 17, 2013
Attorney-General to investigate whether Hall's sentence was "unduly lenient" after complaints.
— alex thomson (@alextomo) June 17, 2013
The Attorney General's going to review the 15 month sentence given to Stuart Hall, who's been jailed for sexually abusing girls
— Radio Clyde News (@RadioClydeNews) June 17, 2013
18 yrs offending & Stuart hall gets less than 18 months. Unduly Lenient Sentence. Attorney General must refer sentence to Court of Appeal
— Harriet Harman (@HarrietHarman) June 17, 2013
15 months in prison for the sexual assault of 13 children (one of which was 9) is disgusting and so disrespectful #stuarthall
— alt-jess (@jessicarrrose) June 17, 2013
Nice work by the British justice system once again - reading what Stuart Hall actually did is sickening, and he gets 15months? Unbelievable.
— Mark Stuttard (@MarkStuttard) June 17, 2013
A man got more time in jail for nicking an ice cream in the 2011 riots than Stuart Hall got for sexually assaulting 13 different girls.
— Dusty (@dustsister) June 17, 2013
So Stuart Hall admits 14 charges, including one against a NINE YEAR OLD. He gets fifteen month sentence. #justice ?
— Matthew Tomlinson (@CllrMTomlinson) June 17, 2013
The disgracefully lenient sentence for #StuartHall degrades women, trivialises sexual abuse & traduces the idea of justice in Britain. Sick.
— Ian (@IanCampbell_) June 17, 2013