A 14-year-old migrant who arrived in the UK by small boat has been allowed to walk free after being convicted of raping a teenage girl, sparking outrage from the victim's family. The boy, who attacked a girl of the same age last September, was sentenced to a rehabilitation order requiring him to attend sessions on consent and boundaries.
The court heard that the defendant and his victim met at school before he forcibly led her to bushes near a skate park on September 23, 2025, and raped her. The teenager later wrote about the attack on social media. Prosecutor Cassandra Roberts said the victim repeatedly said 'Get off me' and 'No', but was ignored.
The boy, who arrived in the UK in June 2025 as an unaccompanied minor after crossing the Channel, was convicted in January of rape and two counts of sexual assault. He was sentenced in March to a rehabilitation order, which includes specialist sessions on understanding consent and the impact on victims, along with a two-year exclusion order from the area.
A source close to the victim's family told The Sun on Sunday: 'The victim’s family are furious. They’re outraged. This sentence is a total joke. There has been no punishment. This isn’t a deterrent at all. The rapist is still free and could just do it again.'
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the sentence, saying: 'This vile attacker should be locked up for his crimes. Custody should be the only punishment for rapists. These attacks continue to happen under this weak Labour Government who have lost control of our borders.'
In England and Wales, youth custody is used as a last resort, meaning courts must first consider community-based sentences and rehabilitation options. The case follows another incident where two asylum seekers were convicted of raping a woman on Brighton beach, with a third filming the attack.
