A 16-year-old rape victim has condemned a judge's decision to spare her teenage attackers from jail, describing the sentence as a 'rock straight in my face'. The two 15-year-old boys were given youth rehabilitation orders (YROs) with intensive supervision after being convicted of raping two girls in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.
The first attack occurred on November 26, 2024, when the victim, then 15, met one of the defendants on Snapchat. During the encounter, a second defendant arrived and both boys raped her while filming the incident. The second rape took place on January 17, 2025, involving a 14-year-old girl in a field near Fordingbridge recreation ground.
At Southampton Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Rowland sentenced the first boy to a three-year YRO with 180 days of intensive surveillance for two rapes and indecent image offences. The second boy received the same sentence for three rapes and four indecent image charges. A third boy, aged 14, received an 18-month YRO for encouraging the second rape and an indecent image offence.
The judge said he had to consider the defendants' ages and avoid 'criminalising these children unnecessarily', noting that 'peer pressure played a large part'. However, the victim's mother called for a review, stating: 'This was premeditated... How are they still walking around?' She appealed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for help.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said the case would be reviewed urgently, while Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones criticised the judge's comments praising the boys' conduct. The victims continue to seek justice, with one girl saying she 'wanted to die' after receiving abusive messages following the attack.
