The family of Jazmine, a pseudonym for one of two girls raped by teenage boys in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, has stated that the increase in the attackers' sentences 'does not change the fear'. The two boys, referred to as X and Y, were aged 14 at the time of the attack in November 2024. They were initially spared custody by Judge Nicholas Rowland at Southampton Crown Court in May, but on Thursday, the Court of Appeal ruled those non-custodial sentences 'unduly lenient' and imposed four-year detention terms.
Victim's family speaks out
Speaking to the Press Association, Jazmine's parents said their daughter is feeling 'terribly overwhelmed and retraumatised by everything' and 'hasn't processed it yet'. They added, 'She knows they've gone to prison. It doesn't make her feel any more free around her local area. It doesn't change the fear at the moment. That needs to sink in, and she needs to process that.' The family also noted they have not been told how long X and Y will serve before release, considering time already spent on curfew.
After raping Jazmine, X and Y went on to rape a second victim in January 2025, encouraged by a third boy, known as Z, who was 13 at the time and is now 14. Z was also spared custody in May, with Judge Rowland stating he should 'avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily'. The Attorney General referred the case to the Court of Appeal, where three senior judges found on Thursday that Judge Rowland 'erred in his assessment of the seriousness of the offences'.
Court of Appeal ruling
The Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Lord Justice Edis and Ms Justice Norton, said in their ruling that the offences committed by X and Y 'were so serious that, even for very young offenders such as these, a substantial sentence of detention was inevitable'. The senior judge added that the two girls' rapes are 'very likely to have long-term and profound consequences, not all of which are immediately apparent'. Z's sentence – an 18-month youth rehabilitation order – remained unchanged after the Court of Appeal declined to increase it, finding it 'appropriate and not unduly lenient'.
Following the ruling, Jazmine's parents said 'the sentence will never be enough' and that the Court of Appeal should not have been needed. They stated, 'You've raped my daughter. Whatever amount of time you spend in detention won't be enough to stop the pain and suffering that you've caused.'
