A WOMAN targeted by serial flasher John Barrett says she has "no faith" in the justice system after he was spared a prison sentence despite committing five sex offences.

The 41-year-old Stirling resident said the courts are "too lenient" as she told the Advertiser about the effect the ordeal had on her.

The woman was pursued by 21-year-old Barrett in Stirling on July 20 last year before he then repeatedly made sexual remarks to her while keeping his hands down the front of his trousers.

As reported this week, Barrett was given unpaid work, supervision, and a conduct requirement after admitting that offence, and four others, including sexual exposure, and indecent sexual communication.

After Barrett's sentencing, the woman was told he would not be going to prison, and admitted she was "shocked" he was allowed to remain in the community.

"It's not just one event," she said. "It's the aftermath of it; it's the constant looking over your shoulder; it's wondering if he'll be there.

"You do change, for months afterwards with John Barrett, I was always constantly looking over my shoulder, not wanting to go out.

"You just don't forget that it happened. It's constantly in your mind when you pass that shop, that doorway, that street."

After hearing that unpaid work would form the main punishment element of Barrett's sentence, she said: "That is nothing; this is not an unpaid work crime, this is a crime of a serious nature.

"200 hours unpaid work – that's almost like a driving offence sentence.

"With a sexual offence, the courts should be showing that that won't be tolerated – that the system will not tolerate that kind of behaviour.

"Yet they're not doing that; they're basically showing him leniency."

The woman went on to reveal that a few months after being targeted by Barrett, she was involved in another, entirely separate incident in which she alleges she was raped by another man.

That matter is still being deal with by the courts, but she said she now has doubts about whether it is worth continuing to assist prosecutors, after seeing the outcome of Barrett's case.

She said: "I've questioned, should I continue with this court case because the sentences are not worth the stress of what you have to go through to get to that point.

"You question if it's worth putting yourself through that evidence, to be called a liar, for a sentence that's not going to make much difference."

She added: "I don't have any faith in the system, to be honest.

"When you see sentences given out like this by judges, and they're getting away with effectively a slap on the wrist, how can you have faith in the system?"

Victims of sexual offences can access information and support services by visiting tinyurl.com/tquj9vu