Oh no, not again!

I find it depressing when I have to return to the same subject over and over again. The Court of Appeal have upheld a longer than usual sentence imposed on a rapist because the girls he raped were Asian and thus, the argument goes, the act brought particular shame on them and their families and devalued their worth as future brides. The unstated, but obvious corollary is that, had they been British and white, a shorter sentence would have been appropriate as, among other things, virginity in a prospective bride is not so much looked for or expected in our culture.  Why is this so very, very wrong? Because, as I've said before, the criminal law should not be concerned, in matters of guilt or innocence or sentencing, with victims.  Please read my post of 5/1/06 to save me having to rehash what I said then. Like I say, I find it utterly disheartening that I am having to repeat myself.  The status, worth or otherwise of the victim of a crime should have no bearing on the sentence, which should simply reflect the extent to which society's laws have been broken.