The sentences of two 15-year-old boys who raped two girls will go to the Court of Appeal after being reviewed by Attorney General Lord Hermer, Sir Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday.
The boys, who attacked the girls in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, were given non-custodial sentences by a judge at Southampton Crown Court who said he wanted to “avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily”.
“I find it distressing as a father,” the Prime Minister said.
“There are questions about the sentence,” he added.
“The Attorney General has power to refer a case to a court of appeal if the Attorney General thinks that the sentence is too lenient.
“The Attorney General has now exercised that power. So I can announce that case now will go to a Court of Appeal… and that is clearly the right outcome.”
One of the victims told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that the sentence had “hit like a rock straight in my face”.
“He (the judge) almost made it seem as if what the boys did was not OK, but it was OK in the eyes of the law because they were still children.” she said.
In earlier comments posted on X following Sunday’s TV interview, the Prime Minister said: “This is a harrowing and brave testimony.
“The girls at the heart of this case have 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.”
Cabinet minister Darren Jones had earlier said the girls “deserve justice” after seeing the interview.
The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister told the BBC: “Those girls deserve justice, as do their families, both for them, but also for other girls that are put in that position.
“And quite frankly, other boys need to know that they can’t behave in that way and get away with it.”
There has been public outcry over the sentences the boys were handed, with both being given youth rehabilitation orders (YRO) and being made subject to intensive supervision and surveillance (ISS).
Jodie Mittel KC, prosecuting, told the trial one of the girls, who was 15 at the time, had visited one of the defendants in November 2024 after meeting him on Snapchat.
The prosecutor said that after performing sex acts on the boy, who was then 14, she became “scared and anxious” when the second defendant arrived, and the pair raped her while the incident was filmed.
Ms Mittel said that afterwards, videos of the incident had been sent around and other people made jokes about the girl, and she received messages calling her a “slag”.
The girl told the BBC she “wanted to die” when she received such messages.
The second complainant was 14 when she was raped in a field near to Fordingbridge recreation ground in January 2025 while the incident was also filmed.
In the sentencing hearing on Thursday, one of the 15-year-old boys was handed a three-year YRO with 180 days of ISS for the rape of each of the two girls and two indecent images charges.
The second 15-year-old was given the same sentence for three charges of rape against each of the two victims and four counts of taking indecent images in relation to filming of the incidents.
A third boy, 14, was given a YRO for 18 months for two charges of rape in the January incident by encouraging the second defendant and an offence of indecent images.
Judge Nicholas Rowland told the defendants: “I have to remember that you are not small adults.
“I have to think how likely you are to do serious things again and I need to make sure you do not do serious things again in the future.”
He added that “peer pressure played a large part in what went on”.
The girl’s mother issued an appeal to Sir Keir in the BBC interview, asking: “If it was your daughter, your niece, your son, your nephew, your family member, would you be happy?
“Because we’re not happy and I don’t think any other member of the public will be happy too. So you’re in a position of power to help, so please help.”
A Government spokesman said the Attorney General’s office had received “multiple” requests for the sentences to be reviewed under the unduly lenient scheme.
He said: “We share the public’s shock at the details of this horrific case, and our thoughts are with the young victims during this distressing time.
“The law officers are urgently reviewing the case with the utmost care and attention.”
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