Two boys found guilty of raping two teenage girls in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, have been sentenced to four years of detention. This decision follows a successful appeal by the Attorney General, which overturned the original non-custodial sentences as being overly lenient.
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr, speaking from the Court of Appeal, stated that the original sentencing judge, Nicholas Rowland, had underestimated the severity of the crimes. She remarked that a detention sentence was unavoidable, noting that if the perpetrators had been adults, they would have faced more than a decade in prison. The boys, identified anonymously as X and Y, were found to have committed the offenses on two occasions, filming the acts while encouraging one another.
A third boy, referred to as Z, who filmed one of the assaults, saw his original sentence remain unchanged due to his younger age at the time of the incident. While the offenders were given credit for 231 days already served under curfew, they remain subject to lifelong restraining orders prohibiting contact with their victims.
Families of the victims expressed that the ruling provides a sense of accountability, though they highlighted the long-term trauma the girls have endured. The original sentencing, which involved Youth Rehabilitation Orders, had sparked significant public and political backlash, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer labeling the initial case outcome as appalling. Attorney General Richard Hermer and other officials have welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision, emphasizing a commitment to addressing violence against women and girls.
