Three teenage boys convicted of raping two girls in the UK were spared jail, leading rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot to express her deep shock. The incidents occurred in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, with the first attack on November 26, 2024, and the second on January 17, 2025. In the first incident, a 15-year-old girl was raped by two 14-year-old boys, and in the second, a 14-year-old girl was raped by two boys while the third filmed the assault and encouraged it.
Instead of receiving custodial sentences, the three boys were given youth rehabilitation orders (YRO), with the older pair also placed under intensive supervision and surveillance (ISS). Pelicot, a well-known rape survivor in France, condemned the leniency of the sentence, stating that the victims would continue to suffer while the perpetrators walked free.
Pelicot, who had been a central figure in a high-profile rape trial involving her husband in 2024, emphasized the importance of justice in cases of rape. She praised the courage of the young victim who spoke out and criticized the system for allowing the offenders to evade prison time.
The decision not to imprison the teenagers was due to the UK’s policy of sending individuals under 18 to secure centers for children instead of adult prisons. Public figures like Keir Starmer and Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones expressed outrage at the verdict and offered support to the victims’ families in challenging the perceived leniency of the sentences.
Judge Nicholas Rowland, who presided over the case at Southampton Crown Court, defended the sentencing by considering the offenders’ young age and the potential for rehabilitation. He stressed the importance of not unnecessarily criminalizing young individuals and supporting their reintegration into society.
Following public outcry, multiple requests have been made to the attorney general’s office to review the sentences under the Unduly Lenient Scheme. The attorney general has 28 days to determine whether the sentences should be referred to the Court of Appeal for further scrutiny.
