British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described as “appalling” a case in which three teenage boys convicted of raping two girls were spared custodial sentences, as pressure mounts for the decision to be reviewed.
The case involves two girls, aged 15 and 14 at the time, who were raped in separate incidents in Hampshire, England, in late 2024 and early 2025.
Two boys, who were 14 at the time of the attacks, and another aged 13, were convicted over the assaults.
At a sentencing hearing at Southampton Crown Court last week, Judge Nicholas Rowland handed the boys Youth Rehabilitation Orders instead of custodial sentences, stating he wanted to avoid “criminalising these children unnecessarily”.
The sentences include intensive supervision, surveillance and rehabilitation measures.
One of the victims, now aged 16, told the BBC the decision felt like “a rock straight in my face”, saying it appeared the crimes were treated differently because the offenders were children.
“Why did I put myself through the pain of going to court, reliving everything again?” she said, calling the punishment a “slap on the wrist”.
According to reports, the boys filmed the assaults on their phones and shared some footage online.
Responding to the controversy, Starmer said the victims had shown “extraordinary bravery and strength in heinous circumstances”.
“This is an appalling case and it is right that law officers are urgently reviewing the sentences,” he said.
The UK Attorney General’s Office is now reviewing whether the sentences should be referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient.
Several British politicians, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick, also criticised the sentences, while children’s rights officials expressed concern over the case. (Newswire)