Parents of girls murdered by former partners have condemned the sentencing of a 14-year-old boy who stabbed a girl multiple times because she refused to date him, describing the outcome as "appalling" and "disappointing". The teenager received a three-year restraining order and a one-year referral order at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday, but no custodial sentence.
The attack took place on 15 March 2026 in a shop in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. The boy, also 14, used a 6-inch kitchen knife to inflict multiple wounds on the girl, who had ended a brief relationship with him. According to the judge's remarks, the stabbing was described as a "very troubling event", though the court did not regard the boy as presenting an ongoing danger to the public.
The boy admitted wounding with intent, inflicting grievous bodily harm, and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Bristol Crown Court sat as a youth court for the sentencing, imposing the maximum 12-month referral order alongside the restraining order.
What impact has the sentence had on the victim?
The girl, who survived the attack, told the court in a victim impact statement that the trauma has fundamentally altered her sense of safety.
"I'm scared and nervous anywhere that I go. Even if someone puts their hand up next to me I flinch as I don't know what they are about to do to me."Carole Gould, whose 17-year-old daughter Ellie was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2019, said the stabbing victim faces a lifetime of consequences. "This poor girl is going to be living with this for the rest of her life, she has a life-sentence," Gould told the BBC.
Ellie Gould was killed on 3 May 2019 at her home in Calne, Wiltshire, by Thomas Griffiths, then 17, after she ended their three-month relationship. Griffiths strangled and stabbed Ellie multiple times in the neck with a kitchen knife. He admitted murder and was sentenced to a minimum of 12 and a half years in November 2019.
Why are campaigners criticising the sentence?
Carole Gould found the non-custodial outcome deeply troubling.
"I was absolutely appalled by the sentencing. It doesn't reflect the seriousness of the crime. The sentence says 'we're not going to take this seriously'. It's totally wrong."She described the decision as "misogynistic" and argued it sends the wrong message about how society treats violence rooted in rejection and coercive control.
Gould, alongside Somerset mother Julie Devey—whose daughter was also killed by her ex-boyfriend—have campaigned for tougher sentencing for domestic killers. Both women emphasise that the Cirencester case demonstrates a pattern of escalating behaviour that, left unchecked, can lead to fatal outcomes.
"We know there's an escalation and pattern in this behaviour and, as they move onto another partner and another partner, it leads to murder."Gould called for systemic change in how society addresses violence against women and girls.
"We need societal change where young men and boys understand that this coercive controlling behaviour is not acceptable in society. Everyone has a right to end a relationship if it's not right for them. We cannot go through society just dismissing these harms."
What role does education play in preventing such violence?
Gould stressed that education in schools must become more rigorous and sustained.
"The education of violence against women and girls in schools needed 'to be harder hitting'. She added it needed to be continued up to the age of 18 across all educational settings."This view is shared by Nick Gazzard, whose daughter Hollie was murdered in 2014.
Hollie Gazzard, 20, was stabbed 14 times by her ex-boyfriend Asher Maslin, then 22, at the Fringe Benefits and La Bella Beauty salon in Gloucester where she worked, in front of horrified customers. Maslin admitted murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Speaking to local radio, Nick Gazzard expressed his disappointment with the Cirencester sentencing.
"This is a case of rejection whereby he wouldn't take no for an answer. Very much the same in Hollie's case. And what we have to do, through rehabilitation and education, is to get people to understand no means no, and individuals have a right to say no."
Gazzard established the Hollie Gazzard Trust following his daughter's death and now teaches groups of young boys in schools about managing rejection and understanding consent.
"We've got to get around these coercive controlling behaviours we see in society, and really try and change individuals' attitudes towards being rejected."
How widespread is teenage relationship abuse?
Gloucestershire Police's Deputy Chief Constable Katy Barrow-Grint, who specialises in research into violence against women and girls, told local media on Monday that such abuse is "widespread".
"Our young children are learning, at much younger ages, about harm and committing it in person against their peers."She highlighted a significant gap in national understanding:
"The legislation will currently say domestic abuse occurs in those aged 16 or over. We don't quite understand nationally what the prevalence is of teenage relationship abuse, or adolescence domestic abuse."
Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher of Gloucestershire Police characterised the boy's behaviour as obsessive, likening the attack to the award-winning television drama Adolescence, in which a teenager stabs a female classmate.
What has the Ministry of Justice said?
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson acknowledged the severity of the crime.
"This was a horrific crime. Our thoughts remain with the victim, who has shown incredible bravery in holding her perpetrator to account, and her loved ones."The statement noted that
"sentencing decisions are made by independent judges in line with the law set by Parliament"and that
"there should always be punishments available which fit the severity of the crime."
The ministry also stated:
"Violence against women and girls is a national emergency. That's why we're investing over £1bn to support victims, strengthening protections and targeting perpetrators as we work to halve it within a decade."
What happens next for the boy?
The referral order means the boy will work with a youth offender panel for up to 12 months, while the three-year restraining order will remain in place. The restraining order prohibits contact with the victim and attendance at locations where she is likely to be found.
Key Facts
- A 14-year-old boy stabbed a 14-year-old girl multiple times with a 6-inch kitchen knife in Cirencester on 15 March 2026 after she refused to date him
- He received a three-year restraining order and a maximum 12-month referral order, but no custodial sentence
- The victim described ongoing trauma, saying she flinches at sudden movements and feels unsafe in public
- Parents of murder victims Ellie Gould (killed 2019) and Hollie Gazzard (killed 2014) have criticised the sentence as inadequate and called for tougher laws on domestic abuse and coercive control
- Gloucestershire Police identified the boy as "obsessed" with the girl, and a senior officer noted that teenage relationship abuse remains poorly understood nationally
