A MOTHER has told of her anger after the teenager who sexually abused her young daughter was handed an eight-day community work order for his crimes.

Last night the mother of the eight-year-old victim – a foster carer who had taken the boy into her home – was joined by campaigners in condemning the sentence.

The 14-year-old boy was sentenced at Oxford Youth Court in November after the incidents in the Vale of White Horse in March.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for two-and-a-half years and has to follow a supervision order for a year.

But the victim’s mum said: “It is disgusting. It is not as if he has stolen a car. It has torn us apart and we are trying to fix our family.

“It is very hard because it doesn’t seem to be justice. My kid has got it for life now. It makes me feel hurt, angry, disappointed and let down.”

She added: “Our daughter is being very brave. She has had to grow up overnight.

“She is keeping with it more than we are. But she does not know the charges or the sentence. We don’t know how to tell her.

“She says if she sees him again she will never leave the house again. We have only just got her to play again. It is so unfair that her life has stopped.

“And he is free to do whatever he wants and he hasn’t even got a punishment.”

The Ministry of Justice said the supervision order could include therapy work with a specialist.

The teenager was convicted of one charge of engaging in sexual activity with a girl under 13, two charges of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of assault on a girl under 13.

The charges also involved another victim, aged five. His trial took place at Oxford Youth Court on October 21 and 22 and he was sentenced on November 23.

Campaigner Marilyn Hawes, director of Enough Abuse, agreed the sentence was inadequate.

She said: “I absolutely would say he has not had what is coming to him. Why should he not lose his liberties? That mother will live in a mental prison for the rest of her life.

“They have done a disservice to the family who are obviously frustrated and a disservice to the perpetrator. There is not enough to stop somebody clearly becoming a paedophile in the making.”

She added: “But you are stuck between a rock and a hard place because of his age and the law. That poor woman will never feel she has had justice.

“You can’t describe what this does to a mum. It is the most awful thing and will live with her forever.”

She said the courts should explain exactly what was involved in the supervision requirement.

Ministry of Justice spokesman Georgina Mear said: “Individual sentencing decisions are matters for the independent judiciary, based on the circumstances of each case and how best to address the causes of offending behaviour.

“Youth Rehabilitation Orders require young offenders to work closely with a team of specialists to address offending behaviour, and to be referred to specialist treatment services where appropriate.”