The UK government is urgently reviewing the sentences given to three teenage boys who avoided custody for raping two girls in Hampshire. The sentences, described as 'unduly lenient' by MPs and officials, have sparked public outrage.
Two 15-year-old boys were each given a three-year youth rehabilitation order, while a 14-year-old received an 18-month order. The attacks occurred in Fordingbridge in November 2024 and January 2025. In the first incident, a 15-year-old girl was raped by two boys aged 14. In the second, the three boys threatened a 14-year-old girl with a knife, raped her, and filmed the assaults.
Jess Phillips, former minister for safeguarding, said the sentences send a 'bad message' and appear 'unduly lenient'. She noted the boys were 'essentially raping for content' to share on social media. Hampshire police and crime commissioner Donna Jones also criticised the sentences as 'far too lenient', offering to support the victims' families in an appeal.
A government spokesperson confirmed the attorney general's office has received multiple requests for review under the unduly lenient sentences scheme. The court heard that the boys had conditions including ADHD, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. Judge Rowland emphasised avoiding criminalising the children unnecessarily, citing peer pressure as a factor.
The victim of the second attack said in a statement that she continues to suffer from nightmares and feels she has lost her former self.
