Figures obtained by the Conservatives show 30 per cent of adults who were found guilty of, or admitted an offence of sexual activity with a child in 2007 received a caution;, while 23 per cent of offenders received a community or suspended sentence.
Shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve said: "These figures show that, with 30 per cent getting off with a slap on the wrist, law enforcement is at its most lax in protecting the most vulnerable."
NSPCC head of policy Diana Sutton said: "The system must send a strong message to child abusers that justice will be done. It's important that within the criminal justice system children are supported properly so that child abusers are brought to justice."
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