The Attorney General is to review the sentence handed to a talented athlete convicted of the oral rape and sexual assault of a 12-year-old following public outrage that he only received a community order.

Adam Hulin, 19, of Hookwood Cottages, in Hurst Lane, Headley, was given a community order at Guildford Crown Court last week, having pleaded guilty to oral rape and assault by penetration of the girl in Bookham in December 2012.

As well as 100 hours of community service and a £60 victim surcharge, Hulin was ordered to attend six ‘community reintegration’ sessions.

Handing down the sentence last Wednesday, Recorder George Lawson-Rogers QC did not mention that Hulin would be put on the Sex Offenders’ Register.  But the court later revealed that he would be listed on it for five years. 

Mr Lawson-Rogers also did not impose any restrictions of Hulin from contacting his victim in the future, saying that if the two were to find themselves at a party together at some point, he did not want Hulin to be accused of having acted unlawfully.

Mr Lawson-Rogers said: I certainly wouldn’t want to do anything which would prejudice his future career."

In the past few days, tens of thousands of people have read the Epsom Guardian’s coverage of the sentencing, with many leaving comments on this website expressing their anger and surprise at the "leniency" shown to the runner.

Tweeting this afternoon, the office of the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, said: "We have had a number of requests to review the sentence of Adam Hulin for sexual offences. 

"Only takes one request and process has started."

Hulin posted comments trying to defending his actions on Facebook and on Twitter following the sentence - which caused further public outrage.

These have now been removed and he also appears to have shut his Twitter account and has removed access to his photos on Facebook.

The UK Criminal Law Blog has welcomed the decision to look again at the decision. 

On its website, it said: "This does not mean that the sentence will definitely be appealed by the Attorney General - he will get all the facts and judge whether it is a suitable case for an appeal.

"Even then, of course, it will be up to the Court of Appeal as to whether they feel the sentence is unduly lenient and, if so, whether it is appropriate to increase it. 

"There is a short deadline, so we would expect an announcement within a fortnight, and will of course come back and review it."

Jane Clare Jones, one of the people who has written to Mr Grieve, said in her letter: "Sexual assault is an attack on the very centre of personhood.  It leaves many women and girls feeling completely disempowered - and this can remain with them for the entirety of their lives.

"No doubt, this overwhelming sense of powerless will be greatly exacerbated by a result such as in this case.

"When a judge exhibits so much concern for the future of a young man, and so little for the future of his victim, it raises serious questions about the extent to which women and girls are seen to be full persons in the eyes of the law."

A number of rape crisis and women's charities have also tweeted, encouraging people to write to Mr Grieve.

Do you think Adam Hulin's sentence should be reviewed by the Attorney General? Contact Hardeep Matharu on the newsdesk by emailing hmatharu@london.newsquest.co.uk.