Two teenage boys have had their sentences for the rape of two girls increased after they were found to be “unduly lenient”.
All the children in the case have been granted anonymity because of their young age – with the offenders referred to as X, Y and Z.
The two boys, both aged 14 at the time of the offences and referred to in court as X and Y, carried out the attacks in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in November 2024 and January 2025.
They were initially given non-custodial sentences – three-year youth rehabilitation orders – by a judge at Southampton Crown Court in May.
But after a ruling at the Court of Appeal in central London, they have now been sentenced to four years in detention.
The case was sent for review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme after a wave of public outrage over the initial sentences.
Delivering her judgement, Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr told the teenagers:
“We have decided that we do need to change your sentences and both of you do need to go into detention. What you both did was so bad that we decided we had no other choice but to make these sentences.”
Baroness Carr said a custodial sentence for both boys was “unavoidable”, and that the judge at Southampton Crown Court had “wrongly assessed” the level of harm caused to the two girls who were raped.
The judge failed to properly assess the ages and vulnerabilities of those involved in the offending, as well as the “humiliation and degradation” suffered by the victims, she added.
The court ruled the sentence of a third teenager involved in the attacks, referred to as Z, will remain the same.
All three teenagers also saw their restraining order, which prevented them from contacting either victim, extended from an original 10 years to indefinite.
The initial sentences were referred to the court after they were called “unduly lenient” by Attorney General Lord Hermer.
Carr said the court had concluded that trial judge, Judge Nicholas Rowland, had “erred in his assessment of the seriousness of the offences”.
Delivering the conclusions, she added “sentences of detention for X and Y were unavoidable”.
“You both raped two girls on two different occasions. You were enjoying it and egging each other on. You made it worse by filming it,” she told them.
Carr made it clear that had the boys been adults, then sentences in excess of 10 years would have been required.
She said that both boys have already served 231 days on curfew which will count towards their sentence, meaning they will “not stay in detention” for the full four years.
The pair were also handed a lifelong restraining order prohibiting them from contacting the victims.
It is understood that the offenders will appeal the court’s updated sentencing.
When addressing Z, Carr said: “What you did was also very bad.
“We have decided that because you were very young … we do not need to change your sentence.”
Better but still not enough
The mother of one of two teenage girls who were raped in Fordingbridge, Hampshire has said four years’ detention for the two boys convicted of the attacks is “better” but still “not enough” after their non-custodial sentences were overturned.
Speaking to the BBC, the mother of the victim, who we are calling Jazmine, said: “How could any mother be happy with four years? Jazmine is going to live with a lifetime of trauma, and she’s going to live with a lifetime sentence”.
“Of course, it’s not enough, but it’s more than we had… So, I have to be grateful.”
In a statement read out by barrister Charlotte Proudman following the appeal court ruling, the family of victim C1 – who has been referred to as Jazmine (not her real name) – said that they had lived through “a nightmare that no family should ever have to endure”.
They added: “Today’s judgement cannot erase what our daughter has suffered but it does acknowledge the seriousness of these offences.”
She also read the words of Jazmine, who said: “I feel like I am the one who has been sentenced, I feel like I am the one living in a prison even though I did nothing wrong.”
“What happened to me has left me harmed so severely that I do not think I will ever be the same,” she said.
The statement continued: “We also wish to thank Laura Kuenssberg and the BBC for giving us a platform to be heard. Attorney general Lord Hermer for swiftly recognising the need for this appeal.”
Jazmine’s family have set up the Stronger Than Silence Foundation – a charity providing support to survivors of sexual violence and their families.
In a statement, the family of the victim C2 said the original sentences had been “devastating”.
“[They] left us feeling that the harm caused to our daughter had not been fully recognised.
“While no sentence can undo the trauma she has endured, today’s decision gives us a greater sense that justice has been served and that those responsible have been held properly accountable.
“We are immensely proud of our daughter’s courage and strength throughout this long and difficult process.”
Warning: This story contains details some may find distressing
At the time of the rapes, X and Y were 14 and Z was 13. They were convicted of 10 rape offences between them.
When Judge Nicholas Rowland passed the initial sentences at Southampton Crown Court in May, there was an outcry from the girls and their families as well as from politicians. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described it as “an appalling case”.
In her statement, Carr said Rowland had carried out a “careful sentencing exercise” but the non-custodial sentences for X and Y were “unduly lenient” as they did not take full account of the psychological harm caused to both victims.
Rowland had given X and Y three-year Youth Rehabilitation Orders (YRO) with 180 days of intensive surveillance and supervision.
Z, now 14, was given an 18-month YRO.
All three boys were also made subject to a three-month curfew and given a restraining order for 10 years not to contact their victims.
One of the girls – C1 – was 15 when she was raped by X and Y in November 2024 at an underpass near a river in Fordingbridge after first engaging in some consensual sexual activity with X. Parts of the rape were filmed.
The second girl – C2, who was 14 – was raped by X and Y in January 2025 in a recreation ground in Fordingbridge. Again there had been some consensual sexual activity before the rape began and, again, parts of the rape were filmed, this time by boy Z.
During the appeal hearing, the Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr criticised the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for putting out an inaccurate press release suggesting a knife was involved in the rapes.
‘Powerful voices’
Also welcoming the Court of Appeal decision, Attorney General Richard Hermer KC, said: “No one should have to endure what the victims went through, and I commend their bravery in coming forward and campaigning for justice.
“This government will continue to do everything it can to tackle violence against women and girls.”
The police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Donna Jones, said the ruling “represents an important acknowledgement of the seriousness and impact of these truly appalling crimes”.
“This outcome feels like a step towards restoring that balance.
“The girls can now start to rebuild their lives in the knowledge these young men are in detention. Life-long restraining orders should also offer them some comfort. Their futures and their road to recovery is, and always should be, central to criminal justice.
“Their powerful voices have helped ensure that this case received the attention and scrutiny it deserved,” she added.
If you are affected by any issues raised in this story, support can be found at BBC Action Line.
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