Three teenage boys convicted of rape and serious sexual assault of girls as young as 14 have been given youth rehabilitation orders and ordered to pay £26 in court fees, sparking calls for urgent sentencing reform. The cases, which occurred in north-east England over the past year, were tried under youth court rules that prioritise rehabilitation over punishment.
One victim, raped at age 15, said: “It feels like he just got away with it.” She expressed fear of encountering her attacker and said such sentences give dangerous boys a sense of impunity. Another victim, now 16, said her attacker “is still able to live his life normally” and that the sentence was not a deterrent.
In one case, a 14-year-old boy was convicted of raping a victim aged 16 or over, sexual assault by penetration, and sexual assault of a 15-year-old. He received a youth rehabilitation order and was placed on the sex offender register for 30 months. In another, a 15-year-old was convicted of sexual assault by penetration of a 14-year-old girl and given a rehabilitation order plus a restraining order. A 17-year-old convicted of raping a 15-year-old was also given a rehabilitation order and placed on the register for 30 months.
The £26 surcharge, applied to all youth defendants receiving rehabilitation orders, was criticised as “less than a parking fine” by a justice group. The cases were exposed by specialist advisers appalled at the leniency. The attorney general has referred a similar case from Hampshire to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient.
