Three teenage boys convicted of knife-point rape and other serious sexual offences against two teenage girls in Hampshire have been spared custodial sentences. Judge Nicholas Rowland, sitting at Southampton Crown Court, said he wanted to avoid criminalising the children unnecessarily and supported their reintegration into society.
Details of the Offences
The boys, aged between 13 and 14 at the time of the attacks, physically overpowered and sexually assaulted the victims, aged 14 and 15, in separate incidents two months apart. Prosecutors said the attacks were brazenly filmed on mobile phones. One 15-year-old was convicted of three charges of rape and four counts of taking indecent images; he will undergo 180 days of intensive supervision. Another 15-year-old and a 14-year-old were also convicted of rape or aiding and abetting rape.
Judge's Reasoning
Judge Rowland stressed the seriousness of the crimes but noted the boys were very young, had low intelligence, a limited understanding of consent, and were influenced by peer pressure. He said one had an IQ in the bottom 1% and ADHD, another had ADHD and anxiety, and the third had mild cognitive impairment. He imposed youth rehabilitation orders of 18 months to three years.
Victim Impact
The first victim, attacked in January 2025, was threatened with a knife, forced to leave her phone and AirTag, and raped in a secluded field while being filmed. She told the court: I will never get that innocence back again. The second victim, raped in November 2024 in an underpass, suffered nightmares and sleeplessness, saying: The person I was before the incident has completely gone.
Reactions
Hampshire's police and crime commissioner Donna Jones called the sentences far too lenient and offered support for an appeal. Siobhan Blake of the CPS noted a trend of youth-on-youth serious sexual violence and stressed the need for education on consent. Rebecca Hitchen of the End Violence Against Women Coalition questioned the influence of online misogyny and called for tech platforms to be held accountable.
All three boys received 10-year restraining orders against their victims.
