Two teenagers have avoided prison sentences after being found guilty of raping a girl in a horrific 90-minute ordeal during which she was forced into a 'threesome.' The attack occurred in an underpass in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.
Details of the Attack
A trial at Southampton Crown Court heard that two girls were raped in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, with the first attack on November 26, 2024, and the second on January 17, 2025. In the first incident, the victim, then 15, met one of the defendants on Snapchat and agreed to go to an underpass, where she initially performed sex acts on one boy. The situation escalated when two other boys arrived, pressuring her into a 'threesome' while recording her. The girl said she felt 'petrified' and agreed only because she feared what might happen if she refused. The rape lasted approximately 90 minutes.
Sentences Handed Down
A 15-year-old boy was sentenced to a three-year youth rehabilitation order (YRO) with 180 days of intensive supervision and surveillance (ISS) for raping two girls and two charges of taking indecent images. The court heard he had been diagnosed with ADHD and 'long-standing anxiety.' A second 15-year-old received the same sentence for three counts of rape and four counts of taking indecent images. He was described as having an IQ in the 'bottom 1% of his contemporaries' and ADHD. A third boy, aged 14, was given an 18-month YRO for two charges of rape and one indecent image offence, with the court noting his 'mild cognitive impairment.'
Judge's Remarks
Judge Nicholas Rowland told the defendants: 'I have to remember that you are not small adults. I have to think how likely you are to do serious things again and I need to make sure you do not do serious things again in the future.' He added that he should avoid 'criminalising these children unnecessarily' and support their reintegration into society, noting that 'peer pressure played a large part in what went on.'
Victim Impact
The first victim read a poem in court, saying: 'I was caught off-guard, I never want that to happen again, I will never get that innocence back again.' She described feeling suicidal, stating: 'All I want to do is die, I no longer have fear for when that comes.' The second victim said she suffers from nightmares, anxiety, and feels 'ashamed, insecure and uncomfortable in my own body.' Both victims were praised for their courage by the judge.
Additional Penalties
The boys were also given three-month curfews and 10-year restraining orders prohibiting contact with their victims. The second incident involved a 14-year-old girl raped in a field near Fordingbridge recreation ground, which was also filmed.
