A man found guilty of raping a six-year-old girl has been released from jail after serving just six months.
Gary Thomas Brabham, son on Formula One legend Sir Jack Brabham, was sentenced to 18 months in April, however he was released after just six.
Brabham was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of indecent treatment in March this year. He was found not guilty on five other counts. In September he lost an appeal to overturn the rape conviction.
His release this week has sparked outrage with thousands signing an online petition against this and other “dangerously lenient sentences”.
“Queensland’s child sex offender sentences are weak and offensive – they need urgent review. These dangerous laws sicken me,” the petition read.
“The judge reported that Gary showed ‘no remorse’. He even tried to appeal this lenient sentence. He’s now out, free to abuse innocent victims again.
“Yet the Queensland justice system is allowing this behaviour, continuing to fail abused children, knowingly letting a child sex offender walk our streets.
“It’s time to put an end to these dangerously lenient sentences for child sex abusers in Queensland.”
The petition, which was set up by a friend of the victim’s mother, so far has over 130,000 signatures.
