Sentences of boys spared custody over Hampshire rape referred to Court of Appeal, PM says

Two boys convicted of raping two girls in Hampshire received youth rehabilitation orders and left court with 10 rape convictions between them. The prime minister said there were questions about the sentence and that the attorney general has the power to refer a case to the Court of Appeal if the sentence is too lenient. He said the attorney general had exercised that power and that it was the right outcome. The victims were 15 and 14 at the time of separate attacks in Fordingbridge in November 2024 and January 2025. A third boy was convicted for involvement in the second attack. A French rape survivor said she was deeply shocked that the offenders could regain freedom while victims would never heal.

"There are questions about the sentence. The attorney general has power to refer a case to the Court of Appeal if the attorney general thinks that the sentence is too lenient. He added that the attorney general had "now exercised that power" which was "clearly the right outcome"."

"Two girls, then aged 15 and 14, were raped in separate incidents in Fordingbridge in November 2024 and January 2025, by two 14-year-olds. Another boy, then 13, was also convicted for his involvement in the second attack. The teenagers were given youth rehabilitation orders (YRO) and walked out of court with 10 rape convictions between them."

"I think it's a really distressing case. I think it's distressing for everybody to see, to hear about. He praised the "courage" of the victims but said he found the case "distressing as a politician" and "as a father"."

"Speaking to the BBC after headlining this year's Hay Festival - an arts and literary festival in Wales - Pelicot told BBC Breakfast she was "deeply shocked that these individuals were in fact able to gain their freedom again when in fact the victims are suffering so hard they will never be able to heal"."

Read at www.bbc.com