Revealed: The 14,000 foreign criminals let off for saying SORRY – with sex offenders, drug traffickers and violent thugs all escaping charges

Sex offenders, drug traffickers and violent thugs are among 14,000 foreign criminals released without conviction as they apologized for their crimes.

Foreigners were among more than 412,000 criminals who were spared a criminal record in the last three years because they were given ‘community resolution orders’ rather than facing criminal charges.

The orders, which require offenders to apologize for their actions, are aimed at low-level offenses and have been introduced to allow troubled young people and first-time offenders to avoid a criminal record and get their lives back on track.

But figures obtained by the Daily Mail show soft-touch orders are being used to tackle serious crime; There are 2,949 sexual offenders among those who were not brought to court because they apologized.

Among the thousands of criminals released were two rapists and foreign child sex offenders.

Hundreds of drug offenders and violent criminals coming from abroad were also sent away with a slap on the hand.

The figures further highlight the farcical state of Britain’s justice system, as Labor faces growing pressure on prisoners mistakenly released from prison and controversy over the government’s early release plan.

New data obtained from 38 police forces in the UK under Freedom of Information laws shows sex offenders from Albania, Congo, Iran, Philippines, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Romania, India, France, Lithuania, Pakistan, Nepal, Hong Kong, Algeria, Syria, Nigeria and Zimbabwe were subject to orders and therefore not brought to trial.

Five sex offenders from Iran, the Philippines, Nepal, Romania and Zimbabwe sexually assaulted young girls but were released without charge, as were exhibitionists from Syria, Algeria and Nigeria.

And a Chinese citizen was released for cruelty to children.

Community resolution orders have been issued to drug offenders from 128 different countries and violent offenders from 99 countries.

The figures and the number of criminals coming from abroad are likely to be much higher as some forces are unable to provide data or say where criminals are coming from.

None of Britain’s 44 police forces kept records of how many community resolution orders they issued to asylum seekers.

Rapists in Derbyshire and Humberside have been ordered to seek community action rather than be charged.

The case in Derbyshire involved a boy under the age of 14 raping a girl of the same age.

Two sex predators from the Philippines and Iran have been released on lenient orders in Durham.

Across the country, 24 girls under the age of 13 and 13 pre-adolescent boys were sexually assaulted, but the attackers were released with an apology.

The sexual assault of at least 134 girls aged 13 to 16 was addressed using community resolution orders.

Around 750 people were caught with indecent images of children, but soft-touch orders were issued and around 165 cases of child sex resulted in offenders also being released.

At least 175 sexual assaults on adults resulted in the assailants being released with apologies and six perverts caught doing the worst form of bestiality porn.

Eighty people escaped child cruelty charges, including six child abductors and child kidnappers.

Community resolution orders were issued to enable victims to participate in the justice process.

These orders are often used when thieves are caught red-handed or to punish young people to avoid a criminal record.

The apology must be accepted by the victim, and the person receiving the order may have to perform some form of community service.

A Derbyshire Police spokesman said of child rape, which was dealt with using a community resolution order: ‘This case concerns reports of a boy raping a girl when they were both under 14 years of age.

‘Following completion of the investigation, an expert multi-agency panel determined that the case was suitable for community resolution. This situation was communicated to the victim and his family.

‘The boy received a range of interventions covering the crime, consequences and victim awareness and since the incident the boy has not been a suspect in any other incidents in Derbyshire.’

A Durham Police spokesman said: ‘The community order covers a range of disposal options, including Restorative Justice programs or accepting an apology from the victim.

‘Each case is examined on an individual basis and the interests and welfare of the victim are at the heart of this.

‘Before using community resolution, the offender’s previous behaviour, the seriousness of the offense and the victim’s wishes must be taken into account to ensure we do the right thing for the victim.’

Humberside Police declined to comment.

Deputy Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Dr. Alison Heydari said: ‘Out of Court Orders (OoCR) are a highly effective way to achieve justice, promote community safety and prevent future crime. We know that there is a lot of work for the police force to do to ensure that OoCR are fully understood by the public and that the police can deliver them in an appropriate and timely manner.

‘For OoCR to be effective we need a holistic systems approach, involving our partner organizations and the voluntary sector.

‘Community orders, conditional warnings and deferred prosecution schemes offer law enforcement the opportunity to work together and divert individuals from criminality as well as provide speedy justice for victims; but delivery needs to be consistent to achieve the benefits we know they can provide.

‘We regularly review the use of community resolutions and will be updating our guidance over the next few months to reflect feedback received and a recently published report.’

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been contacted for comment.

The figures put further pressure on Labor over how it will manage the justice system.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that a criminal had been at large for more than a week after being mistakenly released from prison.

In the latest development in Labour’s prison farce, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the unnamed prisoner has finally been taken into custody eight days after he was mistakenly released.

The case comes in addition to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy admitting that three wrongfully released prisoners are still at large.

Calling the missing prisoners ‘Lammy’s delay’, Robert Jenrick, a leading figure in the Conservative Party, said this showed Mr Lammy was ‘asleep at the wheel’.

Shadow Justice Secretary said: ‘Calamity Lammy did not know for over a week that her department had lost a prisoner.’

‘He’s asleep at the wheel.

‘Three prisoners have been accidentally released since Lammy implemented the ‘strongest controls ever’.

‘They are failing and the British public are being put at risk almost every day as a result.’

It follows a report by the National Audit Office which concluded that Labour’s plan to send fewer offenders to prison would increase pressure on the beleaguered Probation Service and could leave the public at greater risk.

Official crime figures showed a spike in crimes such as theft and drugs during Labor’s first year in power.

Mr Jenrick warned that Labour’s plan for lighter sentences would lead to ‘a massive crime wave, with more sexual assault, rape and violent crime being committed in our communities’.