A teenage girl who was raped in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, has spoken of her ongoing trauma after her attackers were spared prison. The girl, 14 at the time of the January 2025 attack, said she suffers vivid flashbacks and cannot sleep at night. She told BBC Newsnight: 'I just want to be able to go on a walk without being scared that I’m going to see them and they’re gonna try to do something again.'
Attack Details
The victim met the boys at Fordingbridge Recreation Ground, where she was repeatedly raped. One attacker cut her clothes with a knife and pushed her down. Another girl, then 15, was raped in a separate incident in November 2024. Both assaults were filmed. Three teenage boys were convicted of a combined 10 rape counts in March at Southampton Crown Court.
Sentencing Controversy
Judge Nicholas Rowland gave the perpetrators youth rehabilitation orders, saying he aimed to avoid 'criminalising these children unnecessarily.' The two older boys, now 15, received three-year YROs with 180 days of intensive supervision; the third, now 14, an 18-month YRO. All were given three-month curfews and 10-year restraining orders. The victim's father called it a 'life sentence for her.'
Appeal and Public Outcry
Attorney General Lord Hermer referred the sentences to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Scheme, acknowledging 'huge public interest and concern.' Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there are 'questions about the sentence.' The victim added: 'I feel like no matter what I do, I can always feel their hands on me.'
