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The Prime Minister has announced that the sentences given to boys involved in the rape of two girls in Hampshire will be reviewed by the Court of Appeal. This announcement follows concerns about the length and nature of the sentences handed down. The victims, aged 15 and 14 at the time, were attacked in separate incidents in Fordingbridge in late 2024 and early 2025 by two 14-year-old boys, with a 13-year-old also convicted for his role in the second assault.
Sir Keir Starmer addressed the situation, emphasizing that questions had arisen regarding the severity of the sentences. He explained that the attorney general holds the authority to refer such cases to the Court of Appeal if the sentences appear too lenient, and confirmed that this power had now been exercised. Sir Keir described this action as “clearly the right outcome,” underscoring the gravity of the decision.
The teenagers who were convicted received youth rehabilitation orders instead of custodial sentences, despite having been found guilty of 10 counts of rape collectively. The prime minister, during a visit to East Sussex, acknowledged the distress caused by the case, expressing sympathy for the victims’ bravery and describing his own reaction as one of distress both personally and in his political role.
One of the victims spoke to the BBC, describing the judge’s decision to spare the boys from jail as feeling like “a rock straight in my face.” Adding an international perspective, French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot said she was “deeply shocked” by the sentences and praised the courage of the young victims who came forward. Pelicot expressed her concern that the offenders “were able to gain their freedom again while the victims suffer deeply and may never fully heal.” The boys, whose identities are protected due to their ages, had denied the charges but were convicted after a trial at Southampton Crown Court. The sentencing judge acknowledged the seriousness of the offences, particularly highlighting the fact that the assaults were filmed, but chose to avoid “criminalising” the very young offenders
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