[Catwoman]

I think maybe the difficulty here is use of the word 'mitigating'. It implies innocence, or a lesser crime. This is not what I am talking about. To use your example, god I don't know if I can bear to go into details, but lets say the man with the female child could have caused internal damage as well as psychological. Chances are a female performing a sex act on a male child would not. I am not saying either act is right or excusable in any way, or detracting from the sadistic, abhorrent, vile nature of the crime. I just think the two crimes are indeed different, and should be treated differently. I am not saying the woman should receive a lesser punishment, just a different one. Punishment to fit the crime. A response, co-ordinated, deliberate and functional, not merely retaliation.