Victim Reacts to Judge's Decision
A girl who was raped by two teenage boys has told the BBC that the judge's decision to spare the boys from jail sentences felt like a "rock straight in my face".
Speaking exclusively to Laura Kuenssberg, the girl, now 16, said:
"What was the point in putting me through that?"
The girl, who spoke anonymously alongside her family, expressed that the judge's ruling "almost made it seem as if what the boys did was not OK, but it was OK in the eyes of the law because they were still children."
Attorney General to Review Sentences
The attorney general is set to review the sentences handed down by Judge Nicholas Rowland, who stated on Thursday that he wanted to avoid "criminalising" the "very young" boys involved.
Warning: This story contains details some may find distressing.
Details of the Case
The teenager was 15 when she was raped in an underpass by the River Avon in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.
She had travelled to meet one of the boys for the first time in November 2024 after he had initiated a "relationship" with her on the social media platform Snapchat.
The two defendants, who are now 15, were also convicted of attacking a second victim, who was raped in a field in January 2025. Another boy, now 14, was also convicted for his involvement in the second attack.
The boys recorded the rapes on their phones and later shared some of the footage online.
Sentencing Hearing and Reactions
At the sentencing hearing at Southampton Crown Court, the judge emphasized the "seriousness" of the crimes and noted that the filming of the assaults made them even "more serious." After commenting on their age, he praised the boys for their conduct during the trial.
However, the girl and her family want the sentences to be altered and the boys to be sent to jail, describing the current sentences as a "slap on the wrist."
The attorney general will have 28 days to decide whether to refer the sentences to the Court of Appeal.
Family Appeals and Courtroom Reactions
The girl's mother made a direct appeal to the prime minister, stating:
"Please help. If it was your daughter, your niece, your son, your nephew, your family member, would you be happy? Because we're not happy and I don't think any other member of the public will be happy too. So you're in a position of power to help, so please help."
Her mother's partner, who was present in court when the sentences were delivered, said he felt "physically sick" upon hearing the judge's decision.
"It seems to me like the victims are the ones suffering and the perpetrators are the ones that have seemingly got away scot-free."
Details of Sentences
During the sentencing hearing, one of the 15-year-olds was given a three-year youth rehabilitation order (YRO) with 180 days of intensive supervision and surveillance for the rape of each of the two girls and two charges related to indecent images.
The other 15-year-old received the same sentence for three charges of rape against each victim and four counts of taking indecent images.
The 14-year-old boy was sentenced to an 18-month YRO for charges of rape in the January 2025 attack, specifically for encouraging one of the other defendants.
Government Response
A government spokesperson said:
"We share the public's shock at the details of this horrific case, and our thoughts are with the young victims during this distressing time. The Law Officers are urgently reviewing the case with the utmost care and attention."
The attorney general's office has been contacted for further comment.
