What Happened and How the Crimes Were Committed
Two girls, aged 15 and 14 at the time, were raped in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in November 2024 and January 2025. Two of the boys convicted were 14 years old, and one boy, then 13 years old, was convicted for his involvement in the second attack. The boys filmed the assaults on their mobile phones, and some of the footage was later posted online.
One of the victims, now 16, was groomed into making contact with one of the attackers by a relationship made on the social media platform Snapchat before travelling to meet him for the first time, where she was raped in an underpass near the River Avon. "The second victim was raped in a field.
The Sentences That Infuriated
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Nicholas Rowland noted the seriousness of the crimes, saying the filming of the assaults made them all the more serious. But he said he did not want to criminalize the boys unnecessarily and imposed Youth Rehabilitation Orders rather than custodial sentences. One of the boys, 15, was given a three-year Youth Rehabilitation Order with 180 days of intensive supervision and surveillance for the rape of both victims and two counts of indecent images.
The other 15-year-old was sentenced to the same for three counts of rape of both victims and four counts of taking indecent images. The now 14-year-old boy was handed an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order for encouraging one of the other defendants during the January 2025 attack. It is worth noting that even had custodial sentences been imposed, the boys would not have been held in an adult prison. Custodial sentences for those under the age of 18 are served in secure centers for children.
Victims Speak Out On The Decision
One of the victims spoke out about how she felt about the sentencing, saying it felt like a rock right in the face. The teenager said the sentences almost gave the impression that what the boys did was not acceptable but was basically treated as acceptable in the eyes of the law because of the offenders' ages. She and her family are calling for the sentences to be changed and the boys to be given custodial orders, saying the current outcome is nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
She questioned the point of going through the pain of a court trial and reliving the trauma through evidence and testimony if the outcome was so insignificant. Starmer commended both girls for their incredible bravery and strength in such heinous circumstances.
Attorney General to Look at Sentences
The attorney general has 28 days to decide whether to refer the sentences to the Court of Appeal for review. Cabinet Minister Darren Jones told the BBC he expected the decision to be made well before that timescale, insisting that everyone wanted the issue to be dealt with as a priority. "The girls deserve justice, and their families deserve justice," he said, "and the outcome of this case has implications for other young girls who may find themselves in similar situations."
Public reaction to the case has been one of shock, a government spokesperson said, confirming that law officers are reviewing the case with the greatest care and attention.
Political condemnation across the board
The case has been condemned across the political spectrum. The leader of the Conservatives, Kemi Badenoch, said the outcome had sickened her. The crimes were almost as serious as they could be, she said, but the punishment was no punishment at all. Mims Davies, Conservative MP and Shadow Minister for Women, said the case felt like 'a backwards step for women and girls' justice' and called for an urgent review. Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick said justice had not been served and the judge should be held to account for what he described as a very bad error.
The case was "utterly horrific," and the review must be done "swiftly and decisively." Liberal Democrat attorney general spokesperson Ben Maguire said. Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, said she was "deeply concerned" and that her office would be contacting the families involved to offer support. No young girl in the country should feel that such an outcome could be unaddressed, she added.
