Petitions/Classify all sexual offences as violent crimes and end automatic appeal rights
StatusOngoing
Opened20 Feb 2026
Closes
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

We want the Government formally to reclassify all sexual offences as "Violent Crimes" in legislation to ensure sentencing and rehabilitation reflect the violence of these acts, also amending the Magistrates’ Courts Act '80 to remove the automatic right of a defendant to an appeal in the Crown Court

Current law separates sex offences from violent crimes, which we believe downplays trauma and may contribute to poor rehab and high reoffending. Furthermore, the automatic right to appeal from Magistrates’ Courts can allow offenders a "practice run" forcing victims into a "Double Trial Trap" with years of delays. Loopholes can be gamed to ignore court deadlines, leaving victims in procedural limbo. We demand a system that prioritises victim recovery over offender convenience & treats sex offences as violent acts.

110Total signatures
Select your constituency →
10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Gareth Snell
1Gareth Snell MP
Stoke-on-Trent Central
20
Dame Karen Bradley
2Dame Karen Bradley MP
Staffordshire Moorlands
11
John Whitby
3John Whitby MP
Derbyshire Dales
5
David Williams
4David Williams MP
Stoke-on-Trent North
5
Dr Allison Gardner
5Dr Allison Gardner MP
Stoke-on-Trent South
5
Jacob Collier
6Jacob Collier MP
Burton and Uttoxeter
3
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
7Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP
Chorley
2
Catherine Atkinson
8Catherine Atkinson MP
Derby North
2
Charlotte Cane
9Charlotte Cane MP
Ely and East Cambridgeshire
2
Lizzi Collinge
10Lizzi Collinge MP
Morecambe and Lunesdale
2