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About 2,000 paedophiles will be let out of prison early every year under Labour’s controversial sentencing reforms. Child sex abusers locked up for “some of the worst possible offences” could be let out after spending just a third of their jail term behind bars, according to research seen by the Sunday Express.

This is because only the most “serious” offenders will be forced to spend half of their sentence in prison, a cut from the current 67%. This list includes those convicted of rape and assault by penetration. But perverts caught making, distributing or publishing child sex abuse images and fiends jailed for sexual activity with a child could spend just a third of their sentence in jail.

Alarming analysis has revealed four out of five paedophiles will spend less time in prison under Labour’s plans.

It comes as Justice Secretary David Lammy will face fresh fury from MPs next week as the Sentencing Bill returns to Parliament.

Shadow justice minister Kieran Mullan, who uncovered the figures, said: “Paedophiles destroy children’s lives, often leaving them battling demons forever.

“These are some of the worst possible offences – the molestation of children, the rape of children. Boys and girls.

“What kind of government could plan to let these sorts of offenders out of prison earlier?”

He added: “Very many of them will leave prison after having served just one third of their sentences if these laws pass.

“Not as an emergency plan to deal with short-term prison crowding challenges, but as a permanent and profound change to our sentencing laws.

“All the victims of child sexual abuse I have ever spoken to want these vile criminals to spend more time in prison than they do at present. Not less.”

Analysis of Ministry of Justice sentencing statistics revealed 2,254 offenders were locked up for child sex offences last year.

This included 167 perverts jailed for raping a female under 16.

Some 548 paedophiles jailed for taking, permitting, making, distributing or publishing indecent images of children will also spend less time behind bars.

And 229 people convicted of sexual grooming could be allowed home sooner, figures show, if a similar number is jailed under the proposed new “progression model_.

Another 200 offenders aged over 18 jailed for sexual activity involving a child under 16 will spend less time in prison.

A staggering 104 people jailed for sexual activity with a child under 13, and 248 caged for sexually assaulting a girl under 13, could also benefit from the softest sentencing reforms in a generation.

A shocking 54 people locked up for raping a child under the age of 13 could also be let out earlier.

This means a staggering 82% of criminals convicted of child sex offences will receive a lighter sentence, when compared against last year’s figures.

Analysis of sentencing figures also shows that around 2,000 perverts have been jailed for child sex offences each year since 2021.

Child safety campaigner Maggie Oliver said: “These latest proposals to further reduce prison time served by dangerous sexual predators is, in my opinion, another clear example of a broken criminal justice system.

“Starved by years of underfunding, inadequate prison time served and dangerous criminals released far too early, I believe our country, which was once respected for having the best justice system in the world, is now a laughing stock around the world.”

She added: “Whilst we see people sent to prison for long periods for ‘naughty words’ on social media on the one hand, we continue to see the most dangerous offenders in our society walking free, released far too early because we no longer have prison places to keep them locked away as they should be.”

Labour MP Sarah Champion, who led the campaign on the Rotherham grooming gangs scandal, said: “The Sentencing Bill is complex and opaque which makes me concerned for unintended consequences.

“I am worried that some of the most serious offenders, especially rapists and child abusers, may be released early into our communities without the necessary safeguards in place.”

Under Labour’s plans, killers and rapists will be let out of prison early, while 43,000 criminals will avoid jail altogether.

Most convicts will be tagged and electronically monitored as ministers try to avoid a repeat of the prison overcrowding crisis.

The majority of criminals will be let out after just a third of their sentence.

They will spend another third under house arrest and will only then be put on licence and let into the community.

Criminals sentenced to more than four years behind bars will be let out after serving just half of their jail term, while punishments of less than 12 months will be abolished in most cases.

Only the most extreme offenders will be refused the right to leave prison at the halfway point

Criminals will, for the first time, be tagged before they leave prison in a bid to prevent them wreaking havoc in communities.

The Conservatives are next week planning to ramp up attacks on Labour over the controversial sentencing reforms.

Labour has insisted the reforms are necessary to prevent the prison service from collapsing.

Justice chiefs feared a total collapse in law and order, with police unable to arrest any suspects because convicts were being moved into police cells.

A Labour source said: “The Tories drove our prisons to the brink of collapse, days away from the entire criminal justice system grinding to a halt.

“Labour will make no apologies for taking the difficult decisions needed to stabilise the justice system after 14 years of Tory incompetence. The Tories can only point at the consequences of their disastrous record in government.

“This Labour Government is getting on with implementing punishment that works, including chemical castration, driving and drinking bans, and income reductions orders, making sure criminals pay for their crimes but also making sure they can turn their lives around.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The most serious offenders – those on life sentences, IPP, and extended determinate sentences – will not be affected by the Sentencing Bill at all.

“Anybody who commits a sex offence will feel the full force of the law. While sentencing is a matter for judges, we are ensuring they have a range of serious sentences available which can lock dangerous offenders up for a long time.

“We’re also introducing measures which will see sex offenders chemically castrated to stop them reoffending.

“And anyone leaving prison is kept under close supervision – with tags tracking their every move – and we won’t hesitate to lock them up if they misstep.”