You have to wonder what is happening to our justice system when it comes to getting tough on paedophiles.

In some countries perverts who abuse children can expect to get life without parole, or even the death penalty.

Yet in Britain, many are given a slap on the wrist and told to go home.

One such judge, as we've reported today, seems to be doing just that, and not for the first time.

Just a few months ago we reported how Judge Julian Hall had told a paedophile in his courtroom to give his victim the money for a bike to cheer her up a bit.

Cheer her up a bit? His poor victim is likely to never get over her experience at the hands of this disgusting creature.

Now, that same judge has allowed a paedophile to be free in just a matter of months, when he could have been jailed for at least five years.

The judge claims it was an exceptional case because the 10-year-old victim 'dressed provocatively' and 'looked 16'.

Many girls have barely hit puberty at the age of 10 and it is an absolute disgrace to suggest that by the clothes she wore it somehow justified this appalling abuse.

Child protection charity Kidscape are calling for Judge Hall to be banished from the bench, and we're sure they will not be the only ones.

But you can't help but not be too surprised. We are told by politicians that there are fewer than 700 prison places in the country, although why is it that the people who are the biggest dangers to our children are the ones that are being set free? Others are being locked up for much longer for far lesser crimes.

If the message is to go soft on these scum of the earth to save space in prison, then it's no wonder we've got judges like Julian Hall following that to the letter.

Judges have a duty to protect our children and, right now, with so-called sentences dished out like this, they are failing miserably.