Teenage boys detained for rape as ‘lenient’ sentences overruled

Two 15-year-old boys who were spared custody for raping two girls have been sentenced to four years’ detention after the court of appeal ruled their sentences were “unduly lenient”.

- Haroon Siddique

After a national outcry, the attorney general, Richard Hermer, referred the case to the court to consider whether the sentences given to three boys - identified only as X, Y and Z - were too light.

The convictions related to the rape of two girls in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in November 2024 and January 2025.

In the first attack, a 15-year-old girl was raped by X and Y, both aged 14 at the time. In the second attack, at which Z was present, X and Y took it in turns to rape a 14-year-old girl while the others encouraged and filmed the offending.

Yesterday, the lady chief justice, Sue Carr, sitting at the high court in London with two other judges, said the trial judge had erred by giving them all youth rehabilitation orders.

Addressing the boys, who attended the hearing via video link from Southampton crown court, Carr told X and Y: “We have decided that we do need to change your sentence and that both of you do need to go into detention.