Three teenage boys convicted of rape and serious sexual assault of girls as young as 14 have avoided jail, receiving youth rehabilitation orders and paying just £26 in court fees. The cases, which occurred over the past year in north-east England, were tried under youth court rules that prioritise rehabilitation over punishment.
One victim, who was 15 when raped, said: “It feels like he just got away with it.” She expressed fear of encountering her attacker and said such sentences give dangerous boys a sense of impunity. A justice group noted that the £26 fee is less than a parking fine.
In one case, a 14-year-old boy was found guilty of rape and sexual assault of a victim aged 16 or over, and sexual assault of a 15-year-old. He received a youth rehabilitation order and was placed on the sex offender register for 30 months. Another boy, aged 15, was convicted of sexual assault by penetration of a 14-year-old girl, receiving a rehabilitation order and a 42-month registration. A 17-year-old convicted of raping a 15-year-old was given a rehabilitation order and 30 months on the register.
The £26 surcharge is mandatory for all youth defendants receiving rehabilitation orders, funding victim services. The victim in the third case, now 16, said: “I didn’t feel as though the punishment given was justice for me.” She argued imprisonment would allow reflection and prevent further offences.
These cases emerged after official victim advocates from the Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (RSACC) in Darlington and County Durham, appalled by the sentences, decided to expose them. The revelations follow public anger over a similar case in Hampshire, where three teenage boys received rehabilitation orders for rape and sexual assault; that sentence has been referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient.
