Keir Starmer Denounces 'Appalling' Fordingbridge Rape Sentences, Attorney General Reviews
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has labelled as "appalling" a decision by a judge at Southampton Crown Court to spare three teenage boys jail time for the rape of two girls. Sir Keir stated it was "right" that the Attorney General is now reviewing the non-custodial sentences.
Victims Condemn Sentencing
Two girls, then aged 15 and 14, were subjected to separate rapes in Fordingbridge in November 2024 and January 2025. Two 14-year-olds perpetrated the assaults, with a 13-year-old also convicted for involvement in the second attack. Judge Nicholas Rowland imposed Youth Rehabilitation Orders, community sentences that can include unpaid work or curfews, citing a desire to "avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily."
One victim, now 16, described the decision as a "rock straight in my face," asserting that it minimised the gravity of the crimes. She and her family are campaigning for the sentences to be changed, arguing the boys should face custodial sentences. The rapes, which occurred in an underpass and a field, were filmed by the perpetrators and subsequently shared online.
Sir Keir commended the girls for their "extraordinary bravery and strength in heinous circumstances." Cabinet Minister Darren Jones indicated that the Attorney General's review, which typically allows 28 days for a decision, is expected to conclude more swiftly given the urgency of the matter. Two of the convicted rapists are now 15, and one is 14. Sentences ranged from an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order to three-year orders with intensive supervision, covering multiple rape charges and the taking of indecent images.
Prominent political figures, including Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, have criticised the sentences, with Badenoch stating, "The crime could hardly be graver, yet the punishment was no punishment at all." Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, expressed "deep concern" and offered support to the affected families. A government spokesperson affirmed shared "shock" at the case details and the urgent review being conducted by Law Officers.
