The family of Sarah Widdup, murdered in 2001, has voiced outrage over the early release of her killer, Paul Sharpe, who subsequently abducted and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl. Sharpe, a former radio DJ, was serving a life sentence for strangling Ms. Widdup, a beautician and mother of a 10-year-old son, after she ended their relationship. He was released on license in 2013, having served just 12 years of his sentence.
In May of this year, Sharpe kidnapped the 15-year-old girl in Bowdon, near Manchester, forcing her into his car and holding her for eight hours. During the ordeal, he plied her with alcohol and sexually assaulted her. The girl's mother reported her missing, and police identified Sharpe's vehicle through CCTV, leading to their discovery of the pair in a car park eight hours after the abduction.
Sharpe pleaded guilty last week to multiple charges, including kidnapping, sexual assault, and making threats with a bladed article. His actions were described as "depraved" by a senior prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service. Sharpe is currently in custody and is scheduled for sentencing in September. A review into the circumstances of his reoffending while under probation supervision is underway.
Ms. Widdup's family expressed deep anger that Sharpe was released, believing he should have served his full sentence. "I don't think Sarah got any kind of justice at all, and her son certainly didn't," a family member stated. They argue that the British justice system is at fault and that had Sharpe remained in prison, the subsequent attack would not have occurred. "If you take a life, you should serve life," a relative told the Daily Mail.
Government figures indicate a rise in reoffending rates, with 26% of criminals reoffending in 2022-23. Concerns have been raised about the state of the probation service in England and Wales.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson acknowledged the horrific nature of Sharpe's crimes and stated that the offender is "rightly back in custody." The spokesperson added that decisions regarding the release of life-sentenced prisoners are made by the independent Parole Board and that while serious further offenses by supervised individuals are rare, they have a significant impact on victims. The ministry highlighted its investment in probation services and the recruitment of additional officers to enhance public protection.