Attorney General Refers 3 Teen Rape Sentences to Appeal Court After Non-Custodial Orders
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 30
Attorney General Refers 3 Teen Rape Sentences to Appeal Court After Non-Custodial Orders
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 30
Lord Hermer said he had "no doubt" about sending the sentences of three boys convicted of raping two girls to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.
Youth rehabilitation orders, not custody, were imposed after Judge Nicholas Rowland said he wanted to avoid "criminalising" the very young offenders, then aged 13 and 14.
The boys were convicted in March at Southampton Crown Court over rapes in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in November 2024 and January 2025; one victim said the sentence felt like a "rock in my face."
Hermer said he moved quickly after reading the case details and victim statements so uncertainty would not hang over the girls, adding the justice system must work for victims.
The referral sends the case to three senior judges, who will decide whether the non-custodial sentences were too lenient despite guidance that custody for children should be a last resort.
Is this lenient sentence a failure of one judge, or a sign the entire youth justice system is fundamentally broken?
When teen rapists film their crimes, does rehabilitating them outweigh the public’s demand for justice and imprisonment?