We have previously discussed the sentencing difference between the United States and the United Kingdom and other countries. While we clearly have a problem with lengthening sentences in this country, there are cases abroad that shock the conscience in the imposition of relatively light sentences. The difference is evident in the Australian case of Alfio Anthony Granata, 47, who pleaded guilty to nine counts of rape and charges of theft, threats to kill and intentionally causing serious injury that left his victim with 54 injuries. He also kept the 21-year-old Dutch backpacker for months while threatening to kill her. For all of those crimes, Granata was given only 17 years. He could be released in 13 years.
Grant held the woman in a Melbourne hotel while repeatedly raping her and beating her, even carving a cross into her forehead. He whipped her savagely and assaulted her with household items.
Granata, a father of three, could be out before his 50th birthday. His defense counsel insisted that the rapes and torture were entirely the result of Granata’s drug addiction to ice. However, the crimes occurred over a very long period and Granata was clearly lucid and sober for parts of that period. The court rejected the addiction claim and called Granata’s stated remorse “very slight indeed.”
Given those findings and the horrific acts committed over such a long period, it is astonishing to consider Granata released after as little as 13 years. After all, these were multiple rapes and assaults.
Source: Guardian
He will be 60 in 13 years. If he gets ganged raped by the gay mob in prison then he will come out with a large rear end and the end of his sentence. They need to castrate him now. Hang his articles of faith on a billboard outside his high school.
“Lead by example. ”
Lead whom?
You think the perpetrator here cares about ‘good examples’?
It is magical thinking and narcissistic to equate “civilized” with “no death penalty.”
Lead by example. We’ve proven this is the best policy repeatedly in our endless Middle East destabilization policy, whereby half the Muslim world now has a dead relative because of us and wants us all dead as a result.
Darren, revisit Coker v. Georgia? We’re supposed to lead by the example of a civilized nation, not the death penalty, no matter what he’s done. LWOP him, but leave homicide out of the equation.
Thirteen years seems far too short. He should be kept away from women until he’s to old and decrepit to overpower them.
Isaac is a criminal defense attorneys worse nightmare.
This is a crime more heinous than murder. He should be either put to death or put away for the entire remainder of his life. Committing such a crime over months, carving a cross into her forehead, wax the piece of sh*t, he is only a severe threat to society.
Much of the prison justice stuff I hear is a myth. Yes, child molesters are the bottom rung and do get brutalized and harassed. But, a guy like this, if he knows how to handle himself, will do just fine in the joint.
It should have been the death penalty, quickly done.
He is a monster and will attack again, likely in 13 years and one month.
Pogo – this guy has repeat offender written all over him. You would want to keep him in prison until he was too old to repeat.
Evidently kidnapping is not a crime in Australia. Or keeping someone against their will.
“I think the other men in prison are going to look at this guy as the piece of shit he is and will do unspeakable things to him. He may not even survive. Hopefully they will brutalize him as he did his victim.”
That illustrates very well my point that the motivation for extremely long sentences is exactly the same as that for crime. How often those commenting on threads like this openly wish the state to engage in a criminal enterprise against the criminal, raping, beating and even murdering the criminal. Thus the very point of criminal justice is forgotten.
A period of “only” thirteen years is longer than many people sentenced to life imprisonment serve behind bars. The crimes of Alfio Granata were horrific, but it’s hard to see any reason for a longer sentence, except a wish to emulate the savagery of the criminal.
Having spent two long years after being drafted into the Army, thirteen years is not a short sentence. That is a very long period; 17% of an average persons life. I think the rest of the world is correct with shorter sentences. He still should however have to face some serious psychological testing before being released to society during probation. I think the other men in prison are going to look at this guy as the piece of shit he is and will do unspeakable things to him. He may not even survive. Hopefully they will brutalize him as he did his victim. I bet he is punished severely for his crime.
What human beings do to one another is unconscionable. I think of what we do to young men and women when we send them off to war.
It is events such as this that make the case for revisiting Coker v. Georgia.
He is the poster child for maxed out, consecutive sentencing.
A father of three, and he kept her in hotel room for months? Months? Don’t hotel maids need to enter the rooms, at least occasionally? I understand how this could happen over the span of a few days, but over a period of months? I assume that this was some sort of long-term rental, where regular visits were not performed by the hotel maids. I feel so sorry for the victim, whose life will never be the same again. An unspeakable ordeal. No punishment is too severe for a crime of this magnitude.
TinEar:
“The only reason to give this creep a longer sentence – and it is a very compelling reason – is to keep him locked away where he can’t do this again to another victim.”
No. The reason is to hold him accountable for *what he did.* and “creep” is a pretty light word, too.
I doubt that a longer sentence would serve as a deterrent. Is someone really going to say to himself, “okay, I’ll commit a sex offense if I only have to go to prison for 13 years; but 20 years? Nah, I’ll just stay home and watch t.v.” The United States imposes extremely long jail sentences, yet still has an unusually high rate of violent crime. Crime is more a function of culture and demographics than anything else. The only reason to give this creep a longer sentence – and it is a very compelling reason – is to keep him locked away where he can’t do this again to another victim.
The victim was only a woman! Sorry to be so cynical but if he had done this to a man they would probably have put him under the jail! As to using addiction as a defense or a mitigating circumstance, no way. It appears he had plenty of opportunity to let her go but chose not to.
I have no problem with that as long as he is castrated before they turn him loose and has to wear a monitor for the rest of his life. I rather liked the grandmother who tracked down the two rapists who had raped her grand daughter. She did NOT turn in her pistol when they outlawed them and she found the two, opened the door to their hotel rooms, and shot them between the legs. She then turned herself into the cops along with the gun. Now THAT is real justice. Such a light sentence does not instill FEAR into people like this, so something more drastic is required it seems. Maybe letting little old ladies work their magic on such folks would be better.