Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned as "appalling" the decision by a judge to spare three teenage boys from prison after they were convicted of raping two girls in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.
The victims, aged 15 and 14 at the time of the attacks, were raped in November 2024 and January 2025. The perpetrators—two 14-year-olds and a 13-year-old at the time of the offences—were given Youth Rehabilitation Orders (YROs) instead of custodial sentences.
Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Starmer said the girls had shown "extraordinary bravery and strength in heinous circumstances." He confirmed that Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer was urgently reviewing the sentences.
One victim, now 16, described the decision as "a rock straight in my face," feeling that the court had effectively trivialised the crimes. "Why did I sit and put myself through the pain of going to court?" she asked, expressing dismay that the outcome felt like a "slap on the wrist."
Judge Nicholas Rowland said at sentencing that he wanted to "avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily." However, the victims and their families argue that the non-custodial orders fail to reflect the severity of the offences, which included filming and sharing the attacks online.
Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve noted the sentences were "certainly unusual" given the gravity of the crimes, but acknowledged the difficulty of sentencing minors. Barrister Charlotte Proudman condemned the system for "protecting the future of boys" rather than safeguarding women and girls.
Political figures across the spectrum have voiced outrage, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch saying she was "sickened" and Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick calling for judicial accountability. The Attorney General has 28 days to decide whether to refer the case to the Court of Appeal, though Cabinet Minister Darren Jones expects an expedited review.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, expressed deep concern and pledged support for the families.