Nearly 2,500 convicted rapists and paedophiles are to be released from British prisons in September.

Among them are over 100 rapists who have been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison, writes The Telegraph.

The background is that British prisons are in the process of becoming full. The Labour government has introduced a legislative change through the Sentencing Act 2026. This means that serious criminals, including murderers, rapists and paedophiles, can be released after serving half their sentence instead of two thirds. Less serious criminals can be released after one third.

The figures have been compiled by the Conservative Party’s Shadow Justice Minister Nick Timothy, based on public figures for sexual offences in the period 2017 to 2025.

– It is appalling that Labour is about to release thousands of rapists and paedophiles onto our streets, Timothy tells the newspaper.

He demands that the incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham adopt the Conservatives’ bill to exempt sex offenders from the scheme.

Nearly 9,000 victims of serious sexual and violent offences have received letters from the British Ministry of Justice informing them that their abuser is being released earlier. One of the victims, Jade Belgrove, who was raped and groomed as a child, has started a petition that now has over 81,000 signatures.

A spokesperson for the British Ministry of Justice defends this by saying that the government is «clearing up the prison crisis it inherited», and that judges can block the most dangerous criminals from early release.

The government also points to the largest expansion of electronic monitoring in history, driving bans, bans from pubs and football matches, as well as the expansion of chemical castration to 20 prisons.

It is not stated how many of the rapists being released are of foreign origin.