The UK government is urgently reviewing the sentences given to three teenage boys who avoided custody for the rape of two girls, after widespread criticism that the punishments were too lenient. The boys, aged 14 and 15, were sentenced to youth rehabilitation orders at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday, sparking outrage from MPs and police leaders.
Jess Phillips, the former minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, described the sentences as 'unduly lenient' and said they sent a 'bad message'. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she noted that the boys appeared to be 'raping for content' to share on social media. Hampshire police and crime commissioner Donna Jones also condemned the sentences, saying they offered 'little comfort' to the victims.
The two attacks occurred in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in November 2024 and January 2025. In the first, a 15-year-old girl was raped by two 14-year-old boys. In the second, the three boys threatened a 14-year-old girl with a knife before two of them raped her while the third filmed the assault. The court heard that one of the 15-year-olds had ADHD and anxiety, while the other had a low IQ and ADHD; the 14-year-old had mild cognitive impairment.
Judge Rowland said he aimed to avoid 'criminalising these children unnecessarily' and noted that peer pressure played a significant role. The victim of the second attack said she continues to suffer from nightmares and feels she has lost her former self. The attorney general's office has received multiple requests to review the sentences under the unduly lenient sentences scheme, and a government spokesperson said the case is being reviewed 'with the utmost care and attention'.
