A DORSET woman is urging people to back a petition to change prison sentencing laws in Australia.

Julie Croley, from Weymouth, has featured in the Echo as she tried to get people to donate gifts to show support to a young girl who was the victim of horrendous abuse in Western Australia.

Julie was so horrified by the story she got people from across Dorset and around the world to send gifts and messages of support which she delivered to social services in Australia to try and get to the girl.

She handed over more than 250 cards and gifts to the girl during a trip in January.

The girl's father was amongst the men jailed over the abuse and was sentenced to 22 years in prison in June.

At the time Julie launched a petition calling for paedophiles to be given life sentences in Australia.

Now she is calling on people to show their support for the young girl and all other victims as it was announced this month that her father will be appealing his sentence using taxpayer funding from legal aid.

She is petitioning the Premier of Western Australia Colin James Barnett to try and make a difference.

Speaking about the sentence, Julie said: "That means he will be free from prison when the girl is 35. How wills he ever be free of the torture forced on her over and over again, knowing he could be on any street of any town where she is and free to destroy another child's life?

"I and many others feel that she should never have to hear that he is free of what he and the other evil men did to her, as she will always have the pain in her mind."

She is calling for the life sentences as she feels that the victims have been given the same sentence.

Julie's campaign to get gifts to the girl was supported by the likes of Right Said Fred and Dame Shirley Bassey who sent signed messages.

Julie has campaigned and fundraised for many causes over the years.

This year she has been working with a friend to get a present for every woman and child staying at a refuge in Dorset this Christmas.

To sign the petition go to www.change.org/p/hon-colin-james-barnett-the-premier-of-western-australia-sentence-paedophiles-to-life-in-prison