The scandal of a child molester given a soft sentence by Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón may finally mark the beginning of the end of America’s disastrous experiment with “progressive” justice.

At the age of 17, James Tubbs went into a ladies’ public bathroom, pushed into a stall and forced one hand down the pants of a 10-year-old girl in a violent sexual assault only halted by someone else coming into the bathroom.

When Tubbs was identified as the attacker some years later, following arrest on another offense, progressive Gascón insisted on trying the case under juvenile rules — despite Tubbs being well into adulthood.

Gascón was further induced to soften the sentence by the fact that Tubbs now identifies as a woman and goes by the name “Hannah.”

Concerned for Tubbs’ supposed risk of victimization as a transgender woman in an adult prison, Gascón cited a probation report that had recommended home confinement. Tubbs was eventually sent to a facility for violent juveniles, despite being 26 at the time.

“The things he did to me and made me do that day was beyond horrible for a 10-year-old girl to have to go through,” Tubbs victim said in vain. “I want him tried as an adult for the crimes he committed against me.”

Gascón’s choices here reflect progressive beliefs that date back to the dawn of the liberal era, summed by the 1762 claim of French philosopher Rousseau, “Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains.”

That is: People are naturally good, and we only do bad things because society hurts and distorts this natural virtue.

Progressives argue that if only we could meet crime with compassion, all of us will become the good person we naturally are deep down.

We see this belief behind every liberal attack on boundaries, rules or limits. It’s especially evident, and especially dangerous, in the push to replace drug prohibition with “harm reduction,” to defund the police in favor of “community programs” and to swap prison for therapy and rehabilitation, as if it all will magically make crime go away.

Across the country, progressive prosecutors have taken office in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and Manhattan, promising to transform society with empathy instead of just locking up criminals.

And you believe people only do bad things because society is broken, of course you’ll err on the side of the second chance. And you’ll do so even when the crime is sexual violence perpetrated by a mentally ill repeat offender on the cusp of adulthood, against a defenseless 10-year-old girl.

But faced with a criminal who’s less victim than manipulative predator, this just looks like weakness.

In leaked audio from a prison phone call, Tubbs mocks the DA’s leniency.

“I’m gonna plead out to it, plead guilty,” Tubbs says. “They’re gonna stick me on probation,” he gloats. “I won’t have to register, won’t have to do nothing.”

Even Tubbs father sounds shocked.

“You won’t have to register?” he asks, meaning as a sex offender.

“I won’t have to do none of that,” Tubbs replies.

“So what are they going to do to you then?”

“Nothing,” Tubbs answers, then laughs.

It’s not even clear whether the gender switch is sincere. Tubbs seems to suggest being transgender will make prison easier.

“So now they’re going to put me with other trannies that have seen their cases like mine,” Tubbs says, coaching Pop to use the right pronouns in front of the judge: “So when you come to court, make sure you address me as her.”

The victim is not impressed. In an interview with Fox News she called it “unfair to try him as a woman as well, seeing how he clearly didn’t act like one on January 1st of 2014.”

Gascón reportedly knew of Tubbs’ bragging calls about soft treatment, before sentencing took place. But he still opted to handle this violent pervert with kid gloves.

Gascón has said he now regrets the leniency, telling the Los Angeles Times, “It’s unfortunate that [Tubbs] gamed the system” and accepting the transgender claim may have been to secure further concessions.

But in his statement following the Fox revelations, he doubled down on his rosy vision of human nature. He acknowledged the need to make “exceptions” but insisted, “People change and evolve — most often, for the better.”

Others are not so naive. Opponents are well on their way to getting enough signatures by July to force a recall vote of Gascón. Already, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County voted Tuesday to recall Gascón — by 90% of the vote.

More than 30 of the county’s city councils have issued votes of “no confidence” in Gascón.

Similar movements are happening across the country, as the public recoils from the policies of progressive DAs. In Chicago, the police have gone to federal prosecutors to go after race-attack faker Jussie Smollett, when District Attorney Kim Foxx wouldn’t. They’re also looking to try to some gun and gang cases she’s ignored.

In San Francisco, there’s a recall election of radical DA Chesa Boudin on June 7.In New York, business leaders have complained about Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s unwillingness to charge armed robbers as felons. In a new poll, 65% of voters want the “no bail” law changed to allow judges to lock up repeat offenders.

Rehabilitating criminals is a noble goal. But not everyone can be cured of lawlessness. Progressive DAs are hoping that somewhere along the way we’ll have made the world perfect enough that the violent criminals they treat so softly will no longer be tempted to offend. They’re chasing this dream over the bodies of 10-year-old girls. Every time they get it wrong, they endanger innocent citizens.

The Tubbs case is turning into the last straw for those who have a more realistic grasp of human nature than Gascón, Boudin, Foxx and Bragg. Their pity seems all for the criminals. Who will stand up for the 10-year-old girl?

Mary Harrington is a contributing editor at UnHerd and author of the forthcoming “Feminism Against Progress.”