A teenage girl who endured a horrific 90-minute rape ordeal has condemned the decision to spare her attackers jail, describing it as a 'rock straight in my face'. Speaking to the BBC, the now 16-year-old victim said the judge's ruling '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.'
The girl, then 15, was attacked in an underpass by the River Avon in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, after meeting one of the boys on Snapchat. She was forced into a 'threesome' while others recorded and laughed. Videos were later shared, and she received abusive messages calling her 'disgusting' and a 'whore and a slag'.
She revealed it took her six months to report the rape, during which she felt she 'just wanted to die'. Her mother questioned the purpose of the 18-month trial, saying: 'Quite frankly what for, for a slap on the wrist?... How are they still walking around?' She appealed directly to the Prime Minister: 'If it was your daughter, your niece, your son, your nephew, your family member, would you be happy?'
Sentences Under Review
The Attorney General has received multiple requests to review the sentences under the Unduly Lenient Scheme. A government spokesperson said: 'We share the public's shock at the details of this horrific case, and our thoughts are with the young victims.' Cabinet Minister Darren Jones, visibly emotional, told the BBC: 'Those girls deserve justice... other boys need to know that they can't behave in that way and get away with it.'
Last week, Judge Nicholas Rowland sentenced two 15-year-old boys to three-year youth rehabilitation orders with 180 days of intensive supervision for raping two girls, along with indecent image charges. A third boy, aged 14, received an 18-month YRO for his role in the second attack. The judge said he wanted to avoid 'criminalising' the 'very young' boys, citing their ADHD diagnoses, low IQs, and mild cognitive impairments.
Outrage Over Leniency
Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones called the sentences 'far too lenient', adding: 'They offer little comfort to their victims as they try to rebuild their lives.' The victim's stepfather said he felt 'physically sick' in court, noting: 'It seems to me like the victims are the ones suffering and the perpetrators are the ones that have seemingly got away scot-free.'
The Attorney General has 28 days to decide whether to refer the case to the Court of Appeal. The victim and her family continue to demand that the boys be sent to prison.
