A judge has been condemned for what critics describe as a 'sickening case of soft justice' after three teenage travellers who gang-raped two schoolgirls were spared prison sentences. The attacks occurred in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in 2024 and 2025.
Details of the attacks
The first incident involved two 14-year-old boys who targeted a 15-year-old victim on Snapchat, luring her to an underpass where they laughed and filmed themselves assaulting her. Two months later, the same two boys, joined by a 13-year-old, gang-raped a second 14-year-old girl at knifepoint, again recording the attack on their phones and goading each other to degrade her further.
Convictions and sentencing
All three, from the traveller community, were convicted of rape in March. The two older boys were also found guilty of taking indecent images of a child for the recordings. However, at Southampton Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Rowland handed down youth rehabilitation orders instead of custodial sentences. The two older boys received three-year orders, while the youngest received an 18-month order. All three were also given ten-year restraining orders.
Judge Rowland told the defendants, 'None of you need to go to prison today,' citing their young age, low intelligence, limited understanding of consent, and susceptibility to peer pressure. He added, 'None of you have been in any big trouble before. You have all done very well with the restrictions put in place throughout the trial.'
Political and public backlash
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the sentences, stating, 'These despicable youths should have been jailed. This is a sickening case of soft justice. Repeated gang rapes against schoolgirls deserve the harshest penalties – as a punishment and as a deterrent. This soft judge is sending a signal that these appalling crimes will go without proper punishment, encouraging other offenders.'
Philp also criticised the Labour government, noting that rape has increased by nearly 10% under its watch, and called for urgent action to ensure proper sentencing.
Donna Jones, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, expressed deep concern that the boys felt they could commit such acts and avoid prison. She described the sentences as 'far too lenient' and offering 'little comfort to their victims.'
Victim impact statements
The first victim, speaking anonymously, described how her mental health deteriorated after the attack, leading her to isolate herself from friends. She said, 'I was caught off-guard, I never want that to happen again, I will never get that innocence back again.'
The second victim, in a statement read on her behalf, said, 'I often feel overwhelmed, anxious and emotionally exhausted... I feel ashamed, insecure and uncomfortable in my own body.'
