Three teenage boys convicted of rape and serious sexual assault of girls as young as 14 have avoided prison sentences, 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, raped at age 15, told the Guardian: "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. Another victim, now 16, said her attacker "should have been jailed" and that the punishment was not justice.
In one case, a 14-year-old boy was found guilty of raping a victim aged 16 or over, as well as sexual assault by penetration 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. In another, a 15-year-old convicted of sexual assault by penetration of a 14-year-old was given a rehabilitation order and a restraining order. A 17-year-old convicted of raping a 15-year-old also received a rehabilitation order and 30 months on the register.
The £26 surcharge, imposed on all youth defendants receiving rehabilitation orders, funds victim services. A justice group described the fee as less than a parking fine. The cases came to light after victim advocates from the Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (RSACC) in Darlington and County Durham decided to expose the sentences.
The revelations follow public anger over a similar case in Hampshire, where three teenage boys received rehabilitation orders for rape and involvement in attacks on two girls aged 14 and 15. Those sentences have been referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General for being unduly lenient. Keir Starmer called the case "appalling".
