Hampshire teen rapists receive rehab orders, appeal

Three teenage boys convicted of raping two girls in Hampshire have been spared prison, sparking widespread public outrage and a formal review of their sentences. The case has ignited a national debate on youth sentencing for serious sexual offences, with campaigners warning that lenient outcomes are becoming a dangerous trend.

The two victims, aged 14 and 15 at the time, were attacked in separate incidents in Fordingbridge in November 2024 and January 2025. In March, two 15-year-old boys were convicted of rape, while a third boy, now 14, was convicted for his involvement in the second attack and for filming it. At Southampton Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Rowland gave all three youth rehabilitation orders, stating he wanted to avoid criminalising the children unnecessarily. The two older boys received three-year orders with intensive supervision; the youngest received an 18-month order.

The Attorney General, Lord Hermer, has since referred the sentences to the Court of Appeal as potentially unduly lenient. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the case as appalling. One of the victims, now 16, told the BBC the sentencing decision felt like a rock straight in my face and...