Teenage rapists' sentences to be reviewed by Court of Appeal, Starmer says

Two 15-year-old boys convicted of raping two girls in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, were given youth rehabilitation orders with intensive supervision and surveillance instead of jail. The sentencing judge said he wanted to avoid criminalising the children unnecessarily. Victims, politicians across the political spectrum, and campaigners criticised the non-custodial outcome. The prime minister said the attorney general had examined the case and referred it to the Court of Appeal because the sentence was clearly the right outcome. The attorney general has the power to refer cases when sentences are too lenient. The prime minister and other government figures expressed distress and praised the girls’ courage in coming forward.

"Two teenage boys spared jail for raping two girls will have their sentences reviewed by the Court of Appeal after the attorney general said they were too lenient, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The two 15-year-olds were convicted of raping two girls in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, but were given non-custodial sentences by a judge at Southampton Crown Court, who said he wanted to avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily."

"The boys were instead given youth rehabilitation orders (YRO) and made subject to intensive supervision and surveillance (ISS) a decision slammed by the victims, politicians from across the political spectrum and campaigners. The prime minister, who said he found the case distressing as a father, said attorney general Richard Hermer had examined the case and was referring it to the Court of Appeal for review a decision he said was clearly the right outcome."

"There are questions about the sentence. The attorney general has power to refer a case to a court of appeal if the attorney general thinks that the sentence is too lenient. The attorney general has now exercised that power, he said. So I can announce that the case will go to a Court of Appeal and that is clearly the right outcome. Sir Keir said the case was really distressing and the courage of the girls who came forward to expose the teenagers' crimes was humbling."

"I think it's a really distressing case. I think it's distressing for everybody to see, to hear about. The courage, frankly, of the girls to come forward is humbling, but it is distressing. I find it distressing as a politician. I find it distressing as a father. His comments come after government minister Darren Jones teared up over the weekend as he argued the two girls deserve justice."

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