Nearly 2,500 people sign Sheffield dad's petition to stop early release for rapists

The petition, calling for rapists not to be released on licence, was set up by a Sheffield man whose daughter was raped in a seven-hour ordeal in the city.

Her attacker Benjamin Recio-Nugent, now aged 31, was jailed for 12 years in 2016 but after serving half of his sentence behind bars is due for release this month.

His victim, known as Laura to protect her identity, was subjected to multiple rapes, had piping hot water poured over her and at one point had a sock stuffed into her mouth to stifle her screams.

Recio-Nugent, of Shirebrook Road, Meersbrook, was found guilty of rape, attempted rape, four counts of sexual assault by penetration and physical assault.

Laura’s dad wants new rules recently introduced to prevent the early release of rapists from prison to also apply to those currently serving sentences.

Backing the petition, rape survivor Laura said the thought of coming face to face with a man who held her captive and tortured her was ‘unimaginable’ and called for rapists eventually released back into society to be banned from the communities where their victims live.

She said: “Why it is so unreasonable to expect the psychopath that subjected me to such degrading, humiliating, physical pain, who could very easily have killed me, be inconvenienced by having to live in a different part of the country to the person he did that to.”

To sign the petition visit the change.org website.

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