Two 15-year-old boys from Fordingbridge, Hampshire, have been sentenced to four years' detention after the Court of Appeal overturned their original sentences for raping two girls in separate attacks in November 2024 and January 2025. The boys, identified only as X and Y, had initially been given youth rehabilitation orders (YRO) and placed on a supervision programme by Judge Nicholas Rowland at Southampton Crown Court in May.
Appeal Ruling
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Lord Justice Edis and Ms Justice Norton, announced the decision on Wednesday, stating that the original sentences were unduly lenient. She said the appeal judges had 'thought very hard' about the case and concluded that 'both of you do need to go into detention.' The Attorney General, Lord Hermer, had referred the case for review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, with Tom Little KC arguing that the boys should be locked up.
Background of the Offences
The two boys committed the rapes in separate incidents, with one victim being raped three times. The attacks were recorded and shared on social media. In his original sentencing, Judge Rowland acknowledged that the offences 'crossed the custody threshold' but said he should 'avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily,' describing detention as a 'last resort.'
Victim Impact
One of the victims said ahead of the sentence review: 'I feel like I am carrying what happened every day. It is always there. What happened to me has left me harmed so severely that I do not think I will ever be the same.' The Court of Appeal's decision means the boys will now serve four years in detention, a significant increase from the original community-based sentence.
