Three teens sentenced for raping two girls, PM calls for review

Three teenage boys have been sentenced to youth rehabilitation orders for raping two girls in separate attacks in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, a decision that has drawn widespread criticism and prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to call for an urgent review of the sentences.

The attacks took place on November 26, 2024, and January 17, 2025. In the first incident, a 15-year-old girl arranged to meet a boy she had contacted on Snapchat. After initial contact, she was led to an underpass by the River Avon, where a second boy arrived and the two raped her while a third boy filmed the assault. The court heard the victim felt cornered and trapped. Videos of the attack were later circulated on social media, leading to the victim receiving abusive messages.

Seven weeks later, a 14-year-old girl was approached by the group near Fordingbridge Recreation Ground, threatened with a knife, and raped in a nearby field. That assault was also filmed. Forensic evidence indicated her clothing had been cut with a sharp instrument.

At Southampton Crown Court, two boys, now 15, were each given three-year youth rehabilitation orders with 180 days of intensive supervision and surveillance. A third boy,...