Anyone who has worked in the courts will tell you that a pattern is now well established in relation to mitigation – which is where judges are asked to take into account certain factors to reduce punishment when someone has been found guilty of a crime.
Leniency may be warranted, it is argued, where there have been no prior convictions, or personal extenuating circumstances – where the accused has had a very difficult upbringing, for example – or there are mental health difficulties, or where a guilty plea was made and remorse expressed thus sparing the victim the difficulty of testimony.