Contrast in the United Kingdom: sexual aggressor free, comedian detained for expressing himself

The British justice system ruled community service instead of prison for a young man who sexually assaulted a woman in Dorset, while at the same time a well-known comedian was arrested for expressing opinions on social media, exposing the contradiction of the judicial system regarding physical crimes and opinion crimes.

A British court decided to release Ayomide Famakinde, a 23-year-old man of Nigerian origin, who was found guilty of sexual assault against a young woman in the coastal town of Bournemouth in August 2022.

The judge determined that the attack constituted a "momentary aberration" and took into account the accused's "troubled background and difficult life" as mitigating factors, replacing the prison sentence with an 18-month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work.

The events occurred when the 19-year-old victim was with a friend on the beach. According to the reconstruction in court, Famakinde, under the influence of drugs, approached the young woman, grabbed her, and put his hand inside her pants. Despite her attempts to defend herself and her screams, the accused continued the assault until both fell to the ground and a companion of the young man pulled him away. Afterwards, both left the scene, leaving the victim in a state of shock.

During the judicial process, the young woman stated that the attack  "ruined her life" and that since then she doesn't feel safe walking alone. However, the judge considered that a custodial sentencewould be"too severe", referring to the accused's difficult childhood in the British care system after emigrating from Nigeria.

The ruling caused questions about the leniency toward sexual crimes and the contrast with other recent judicial decisions in the country. Meanwhile, screenwriter and comedian Graham Linehan, creator of the series "Father Ted", was arrested at Heathrow Airport for posts on the social network X in which he criticized transgender activists.

Linehan himself reported that he was met by five armed officers upon his arrival in London and that the only conditions of his bail were the prohibition to use the social network and the obligation to appear for a new judicial interview in October.

The writer described the episode as an attempt at censorship: "No threats, no speeches about the seriousness of my crimes; just a legal gag order designed to silence me while I'm in the United Kingdom".

The author J.K.Rowling expressed her rejection of the arrest by stating: "What the hell has the United Kingdom become? This is totalitarianism. Absolutely deplorable". In the same vein, reformist MP Rupert Lowe warned:  "Linehan today, you tomorrow. Raise your objections now".

The comparison between both cases reveals a contradiction within the British judicial system: while a sexual assault against a woman receives an alternative sentence to prison, expressions made on social media result in arrests and restrictions on freedom of expression.

These episodes reopen the debate about the priorities of justice and the different treatment between assault crimes and opinion crimes in the United Kingdom.