Following her recent interview with Channel 4 News on the Sentencing Act 2026 and the early release of grooming offenders and child sex abusers, Amy Clowrey, Director in our Abuse Team, wanted to share what this debate means beyond the headlines.

The discussion around early release has largely focused on prison capacity, sentencing policy and public protection. But for the survivors Amy represents every day, the impact is deeply personal. Having spoken to many clients since the changes were announced, Amy has heard first-hand how the prospect of offenders being released earlier than expected has reopened trauma, heightened anxiety and left many questioning whether the justice system truly recognises the lifelong impact of child sexual abuse.

In this article, Amy reflects on what she is hearing from survivors and shares, in their own words, how these changes are affecting those who have already endured years of abuse, lengthy criminal investigations and the emotional toll of seeking justice.

For survivors of sexual abuse, the criminal justice process is often long, painful and deeply challenging. Many spend years living with the consequences of the abuse before finding the strength to report what happened. They endure police investigations, court proceedings, cross-examination and the emotional toll of reliving traumatic experiences, all in the hope that justice will finally be delivered. This usually tales many years.

Yet for many survivors, the prospect of perpetrators being released from prison earlier than expected raises a fundamental question: where is the justice?

The issue of early release is often discussed in terms of prison capacity, rehabilitation and public expenditure. While those are important considerations, they can overlook the voices of those most affected by sexual offending – the survivors themselves.

In recent weeks, I have been contacted by a number of survivors expressing serious concerns about the impact that the early release of sexual offenders is having on their wellbeing. Their concerns are not theoretical or political; they are personal, immediate and deeply felt.

For many survivors, a prison sentence represents more than punishment. It provides a period of safety. It offers reassurance that the person who harmed them cannot contact them, intimidate them or potentially repeat their offending. Knowing that an offender is behind bars often allows survivors to begin rebuilding their lives.

When that period of imprisonment is shortened, many survivors describe feeling as though their sense of security and the opportunity to rebuild their life has been taken away.

Some have reported a significant deterioration in their mental health. Feelings of anxiety, depression and hypervigilance, which many had worked hard to manage, can return with renewed intensity. The knowledge that a perpetrator may soon be released can reopen old wounds and trigger memories of trauma that survivors have spent years trying to process.

Others have expressed fears about threats and intimidation. Although licence conditions and safeguarding measures may be put in place, survivors often worry about whether those measures will be enough. The fear is not always based on a specific threat; rather, it stems from the reality that these individuals have already demonstrated a willingness to exploit, manipulate and harm others often which the survivor has either already suffered or witnessed.

Many survivors also worry about reprisals against family members. Parents, partners, children and siblings may have provided support during the criminal process, and survivors often fear that those closest to them could become targets for intimidation or harassment following release.

In some cases, survivors have spoken about the possibility of needing to move home. The prospect of relocating to feel safe again can create significant financial pressures and emotional upheaval. It can disrupt employment, education and family life. Survivors who have already endured immense hardship are left feeling that they must once again bear the consequences of someone else's actions.

These concerns highlight an issue that is frequently absent from discussions about early release: the continuing impact on victims and survivors. They seem to be an afterthought.

Justice should not be measured solely by the administration of a sentence. It should also consider whether survivors feel heard, protected and respected. When survivors are left feeling frightened, unsupported or exposed to renewed risks, confidence in the justice system is inevitably undermined.

No one suggests that offenders should never be rehabilitated or released. However, decisions about early release must carefully balance those considerations against the ongoing safety and wellbeing of victims. Survivors deserve to know that their experiences matter and that their voices form part of the conversation.

For many survivors, the question is not simply whether an offender has served enough time. It is whether the justice system truly understands the lifelong impact of sexual abuse and whether it is prepared to place the needs and safety of survivors at the centre of decision-making.

Until that happens, many will continue to ask the same question:

"Where is the justice?"

Below, are some of the statements collected from our clients outlining the impact of the early release provisions in the Sentencing Act 2026.

“Receiving the letter impacted me massively, because nobody informed me of early releases. My case specifically, it took eight years to get to court and within 18 months two of them have been granted open prisons for the most abhorrent crimes that are about, against children. What kind of a deterrent is that for these people that like to go around exploiting children and raping children? It’s not a deterrent. It took me the best part of 10 years to get into a court room and now, 18 months into their prison sentence, which was a nine-year sentence, they are allowed to go home and visit their families and be in an open prison. It’s an absolute kick to the teeth. I feel like I have wasted my time with the whole investigation and been let down and lied to. These letters are just an absolute insult. What the public and decision makers need to know is that the crimes that they commit against us children, because that’s what we were, are life -long lasting. It impacts me every day such as my parenting and when I go out. It impacts me massively and this is what people do not understand. These people go to open prison, and they’ve got a lovely life there because they’ve got PlayStations and their families call them when they want. Then there’s us survivors who are sat at home in absolute pieces, with nobody around them because they don’t trust anybody because of these absolute monsters. Now they are getting out early because they can be managed in the community. Who wants these people in the community to reoffend? Let’s face it, the punishments don’t fit the crime.”

- Novah

“I am extremely disappointed in receiving this letter and I am extremely disappointed that my perpetrators and abusers will only be serving 33% of their sentences, so they are going to be released as early as September. It is just another kick in the teeth. They have just taken what little justice away from us as we are still continuing our fight out here. They are all going to be released while we are still fighting to get full accountability and full justice for survivors and while there is a national grooming gang inquiry going on. I just feel like it undermines it all.

We cannot let people who have abused children for years and decades onto the streets. How is it safe? It is not safe for our children and it’s not safe for the next generation of children. You are just releasing them back onto the streets for them to commit further offences, with a probation system that is fully broken.”

- Carly

“It’s made me feel worthless all over again and just life me and my safety do not matter at all. These people are going to be released back into the town and community where I live. For my safety I think I will have to move. I always knew in my head that when they got released I didn’t want to stay here, but I thought I had many years to work out what I was going to do. Now the changes have come in I probably have a  couple of years., It’s just so unfair that they’re not even going to serve the sentence that was handed to them, when I’ve got to serve a full life sentence.

When I received the letter I just started crying. I am only two years out of court and my case took eight years to get to court. They might not even serve eight years.

With the criminal court case only ending a couple of years ago my anxiety and fears were just about settling down. Now I’ve gone a million steps back. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. The few hours of sleep I do get are trauma dreams. I wake up crying, looking around my house at all hours of the morning to make sure that no one is there.

I just can’t believe two years of after court, I’ve now got to think about them coming out. It’s soul-crushing.”

- Jessica

“My daughter was a victim of child sexual exploitation. I believe her death was not only the result of an individual act, but also of a serious failures within the justice system and wider serious failure should of protected her .

My daughter’s abuser served only three years of a six-year sentence. After his release, he was allowed to move back into the area where my daughter lived.

Instead of the burden being placed on the perpetrator, my daughter was told that she had to move away from her loving family and from her only daughter for her own safety. This decision devastated her and caused profound emotional harm.

She was not provided with a secure flat or stable accommodation. Instead, she was moved from hostel to hostel and experienced homelessness. This instability compounded the trauma she had already suffered as a victim of child sexual exploitation.

The justice system failed my daughter. It failed to protect her as a victim of child sexual exploitation, failed to place responsibility and restriction where they belonged, and failed to recognise the devastating impact these decisions would have on her life.

These failures did not affect my daughter alone. They destroyed our family, caused lasting trauma, and left us living with the consequences of decisions that should never have been made in this way.

The memories of watching my daughter suffer with her mental health on a daily basis will haunt me for the rest of my life. No parent should have to witness their child being broken by trauma, instability, and systems that were meant to protect her.

Her daughter now has to grow up without her mummy. This is a life-long loss that can never be repaired, and it shows the human cost of decisions that failed to prioritise victim safety and public protection.

I believe that a perpetrator convicted of such serious offences should serve the full sentence imposed by the court, particularly where there is a clear risk to victims, children, families, and the wider community.

I never want this to happen to any other family. Things have to change so that victims are protected, perpetrators are properly managed, and families are not left to suffer the consequences of failures within the justice system.”

- The loving mother of a victim of CSE

How Switalskis can help

Every survivor of abuse deserves justice. That means holding perpetrators fully accountable, and it also means ensuring survivors are supported to reclaim their voice, rebuild their sense of control, and pursue the compensation they are entitled to for the harm they have suffered.

At Switalskis, our specialist abuse lawyers have decades of experience in representing survivors of child sexual exploitation. We understand that such cases are very emotional for clients and often legally complex, therefore we are dedicated to providing a supportive and professional environment in which our clients can feel confident in our services. We are committed to ensuring our clients receive the compensation they deserve.

If you have been impacted and would like to discuss your experience in confidence, our specialist abuse team  can help. Call 0808 258 8041  or email help@switalskis.com