Court of Appeal Hears Three Teenage Rapists Should Receive Custodial Sentences

The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC, has contended before the Court of Appeal that three teenage boys convicted of rape in Cambridgeshire should have been detained rather than receiving non-custodial sentences. The appeal concerns whether the judge in the original case erred by not imposing a period of detention.

The offence occurred in October 2021, when the three boys, then aged 14, 15, and 16, raped a teenage girl. One of the offenders filmed parts of the assault, subsequently sharing the footage. All three were convicted of rape and sexual assault by penetration at Cambridge Crown Court in July 2023.

During the sentencing in September 2023, the judge opted for rehabilitation orders and supervision rather than custodial sentences. Mr Tomlinson argued that, given the severity of the crime, detention was the appropriate disposition. He highlighted the “very serious” nature of the rape and the “significant harm” inflicted upon the victim.

The hearing continues, with the Court of Appeal set to determine if the original sentences were unduly lenient.