Victims groups outraged at decision to spare woman jail-time because of her 'talent for medicine'
Victims groups fear a decision not to jail an Oxford University student, because of her ‘talent for medicine’, could discourage others who suffer domestic violence to come forward.
Lavinia Woodward, 24, stabbed her boyfriend Thomas Fairclough in the leg on December 30 2016, after an alleged drug fuelled fight.
The pair had met on Tinder and allegedly had a fight when Cambridge PHD student Fairclough threatened to call Ms Woodward’s mother.
Ms Woodword then allegedly punched him before picking up a bread knife and stabbing him in the leg.
She admitted to a charge of unlawful wounding, an offence which the judge said would normally mean a custodial sentence.
However he deferred the sentence for four months, hinting that she would not face jail time because of her ‘extraordinary talent’.
"It seems to me that if this was a one-off, a complete one-off, to prevent this extraordinarily able young lady from not following her long-held desire to enter the profession she wishes to, would be a sentence which would be too severe,” the judge said.
"What you did will never, I know, leave you but it was pretty awful, and normally it would attract a custodial sentence, whether it is immediate or suspended."
However victims groups have slammed the judges comments as sending the wrong message to domestic violence sufferers, particularly male victims who were already reluctant to come forward.
Speaking with Telegraph UK, Claire Waxman, the director of Voice4Victims said: “I think the Judge needs to be mindful of the way he sentences this case and his comments. Male victims of domestic violence struggle to come forward due to the way society views them. If the Judge passes a lenient sentence, this will discourage victims from coming forward and reporting.”
She added: “This case raises some serious questions on how we view female perpetrators of domestic violence and how the effects of the crime on the victim is being overshadowed by the impact the sentence could have on the perpetrator's life.”
Former police officer Norman Brennan said the crime should always attract a prison sentence.
“This is a crime that should always attract a prison sentence. At a time when knife crime is out of control the courts should be setting an example.”
