Another day, another sex offender strolls free from a Swindon Court with a sickening grin on his face.

Salaam Ahmad is a 27-year-old child molester. He approached a 13-year-old girl from behind at the Orbital Centre Asda, sexually assaulted her and fled.

The distraught child, who had become separated from her parents, has been left afraid to be alone for any length of time.

Predatory pervert Ahmad offered no explanation for his actions, although he did claim via his lawyer that he thought his victim was 17.

Basic logic suggests that a sex attacker who can offer no explanation for his actions is a potentially very dangerous sex attacker indeed.

However, neither this nor the severe psychological damage suffered by his victim was enough to persuade the court to punish him in any realistic sense of the word.

Instead this despicable creature was given a 12-month supervision order, an eight week curfew, some trifling financial penalties and a five year stint on the sex offenders’ register.

The court heard he felt genuine remorse for his crime and concern for his victim. We invite readers to study our photograph of Ahmad. Is that the face of a remorseful, concerned person – or the face of a smug sex offender who knows he’s effectively got away with the proverbial slap on the wrist?

What has to happen before the judiciary in Swindon realises that the victims of disgusting people such as Ahmad are real human beings whose suffering is very great indeed?

Those victims deserve respect, including in the form of appropriate punishments.

The Salaam Ahmads of this world belong behind bars – for years if necessary.