Two teenage boys, known as X and Y, have been sentenced to four years' detention after a Court of Appeal decision overturned their initial non-custodial sentences for raping two girls in Fordingbridge, Hampshire. The reversal was prompted by the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, who referred the original sentences as 'unduly lenient'. Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr, addressing the boys via video link from Southampton Crown Court, stated that the court had no choice but to alter their sentences, concluding that the trial judge had 'misjudged' the severity of the offences.
The initial sentences, passed in May, sparked a wave of public and political outrage. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the case as 'appalling', while the victims' families expressed profound distress at the outcome, feeling it did not adequately acknowledge the harm caused to their daughters. The Court of Appeal's decision now means X and Y will serve four years in detention, with 231 days already served under curfew counting towards their sentence. Both boys have also been given lifelong restraining orders, prohibiting contact with their victims.
Lady Chief Justice Carr highlighted the gravity of the offences, telling X and Y that they had 'both raped two girls on separate occasions', actions which were 'aggravated by filming'. She noted that, had they been adults, sentences exceeding 10 years would have been imposed. This underscores the Court of Appeal's view that the initial sentences failed to reflect the serious nature and impact of the crimes.
A third boy, Z, who was 13 at the time and convicted for his role in filming one of the attacks, did not see his sentence altered. Lady Chief Justice Carr acknowledged that his actions were 'very bad', but due to his young age, she decided against changing his sentence. All parties involved have been granted anonymity.
The families of the victims welcomed the revised sentences. The family of Jazmine (not her real name) released a statement, saying they had endured a 'nightmare' and that 'justice has finally been done'. They acknowledged that the judgement cannot erase their daughter's suffering, but it recognises the severity of the offences.
The second victim's family also expressed relief at the revised sentence, describing the original outcome as 'devastating' and stating that they felt the harm to their daughter had not been fully recognised. They praised their daughter's courage and strength throughout the ordeal.