Three teenage boys convicted of rape and serious sexual offences against girls as young as 14 avoided custody and instead received youth rehabilitation orders in separate cases in north-east England.
According to The Guardian, the cases were heard under youth court rules, which apply to offenders aged under 18 and place greater emphasis on rehabilitation than punishment.
In one case, a boy aged 14 at the time of the offences was convicted of rape, sexual assault by penetration and a separate sexual assault. He was sentenced at Teesside Magistrates’ Court in December 2025 to a youth rehabilitation order and placed on the sex offenders register for 30 months.
In another case, a 15-year-old boy was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and received a youth rehabilitation order, a restraining order and a requirement to register as a sex offender for 42 months.
A third teenager, aged 17 when sentenced in September 2025, was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl. He also received a youth rehabilitation order and was placed on the sex offenders register for 30 months.
The cases emerged days after public criticism of another youth rape case in Hampshire, where three teenage boys avoided custody after being convicted in connection with the rape of two girls. Those sentences are currently being reviewed by the attorney general under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.
One victim, who was 15 when she was raped, told The Guardian that the sentence left her feeling unsafe and failed to deliver justice.
“I didn’t feel as though the punishment given was justice for me and what happened,” she said. “He is still able to live his life normally and do what he wants.”
She said she remained worried about encountering her attacker and feared the punishment would not deter future offences.
The report also highlighted criticism over a mandatory £26 victim surcharge imposed on young offenders who receive youth rehabilitation orders. The charge applies regardless of the offence and helps fund victim support services.
Campaigners argued that the amount appeared disproportionately low in cases involving serious sexual violence.
Isabel Owens, chief executive of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre covering Darlington and County Durham, said survivors were increasingly questioning whether reporting offences was worthwhile.
“We are deeply concerned about the trend we are seeing towards more lenient consequences for young perpetrators’ actions,” Owens was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
Leonie Hodge of campaign group Justice Is Now said the outcomes risked undermining confidence in the justice system and sending the wrong message about violence against women and girls.
The Ministry of Justice said sentencing decisions were made independently by judges in line with established guidelines, adding that custody should always be considered for serious offences.
The government has faced growing pressure to review youth sentencing practices following a series of high-profile rape cases involving teenage offenders and concerns from victims' groups that rehabilitation is being prioritised over accountability in some of the most serious crimes.
