Teen victim, 13, of rapist who walked free from jail because of his age left ‘devastated’ by sentence
THE teen victim of a rapist who dodged jail because of his age was left “devastated and distraught” by the sentence, her family revealed.
The girl’s grandad also said he feels guilty for assuring her that “the law would protect her” when she bravely went to police to report fiend Sean Hogg, 21.
But he praised Harry Potter author JK Rowling for condemning the let-off, and hopes public outrage will see his granddaughter’s attacker hauled to prison following a prosecution appeal.
Hogg, of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, wept in the dock as he walked free with 270 hours’ unpaid work after being found guilty of repeated attacks on the child when she was 13 and he was 17.
But passing sentence at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday, Lord Lake told the predator he would have faced four or five years behind bars but for his age at the time.
Speaking for the first time, the victim’s tormented grandparent — her legal guardian — told The Scottish Sun: “She was left inconsolable when she found out he’d been let out — absolutely devastated and distraught.
“She said to me ‘you told me to go through with this, all this grief and stress, now look what’s happened’.
“I promised her the law would protect her and she had to speak up to protect other girls. Now I feel like a fool.
“I feel like I’ve let her down and he’s got a few weeks picking up litter.”
We told how Hogg threatened the schoolgirl and pulled down her clothing.
He also seized her wrists, forced her to carry out a sex act on him and raped her at Dalkeith Country Park in Midlothian in 2018.
Her worried loved ones now fear she will never get over her ordeal.
The grandad said: “This has had a catastrophic effect. We’ve tried to build her up after this and now we’re back to square one.”
After Hogg was spared jail, Edinburgh-based Ms Rowling, below, tweeted her disgust — sparking millions of comments and shares online.
She wrote: “Progressive Scotland 2023, where a man gets no jail time for raping a 13-year-old in a park.
“Young Scottish men are essentially being told ‘first time’s free’.”
The family member went on: “We applauded every word JK Rowling said and welcomed the huge outrage the case has provoked.”
The SNP Government last year handed down guidelines urging courts to a focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment for criminals under 25.
A Scottish Sentencing Council spokesman said: “Sentencing guidelines are just that — guidelines.
“Where appropriate a judge can decide not to follow a guideline, but must give their reasons.”
As well as unpaid work, Hogg will be supervised and be on the sex offenders register for three years.
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