Criminal law – Child sex offences. The first offender, B, was convicted of child cruelty and other sexual offences, including rape, in respect of his step-daughter. His partner, H, the girl's mother, was found to have been involved in all of the B's offending by allowing, encouraging and turning a blind eye to B's activities. The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, allowed applications by the Attorney General pursuant to s 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and held that sentences of 12 years and five and-a-half years' imprisonment, respectively, had been unduly lenient and substituted sentences of 24 years and eight years' imprisonment.