UK Court Reviews 10 Rape Convictions' Non-Custodial Sentences for 3 Boys After Outcry
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 1
UK Court Reviews 10 Rape Convictions' Non-Custodial Sentences for 3 Boys After Outcry
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 1
Summary
A two-day Court of Appeal hearing opened Wednesday to examine whether non-custodial sentences for three teenage boys convicted on 10 rape counts were unduly lenient.
The review followed public outrage and an Attorney General referral after the boys left Southampton Crown Court in May with youth rehabilitation orders instead of custody.
The case involved two girls aged 14 and 15 attacked in Fordingbridge in November 2024 and January 2025; prosecutors said videos of the assaults were shared on social media.
Jazmine, one victim, said the trial was traumatising and that the rape left her carrying the harm every day, while her family said the appeal could affect wider survivor confidence in the justice system.
The original judge said youth custody was a last resort and cited the boys' ages, welfare duties and neurodevelopmental conditions, even as two were assessed as high risk of serious harm to young females.