BRITISH Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has backed an urgent review into an appalling court decision after three teenage boys were spared custodial sentences for the rape of two young girls.

The political intervention follows an emotional public appeal from one of the victims, who described the community-based sentences handed down at Southampton Crown Court as a direct blow to justice.

Two girls, then aged 14 and 15, were subjected to separate sexual assaults in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, between November 2024 and January 2025.

BBC reported on Monsay that two 14-year-old boys carried out the rapes, whilst a third boy, then aged 13, was convicted for his role in the second attack. The perpetrators filmed the assaults on their mobile phones and distributed the footage online.

Despite the gravity of the offences, Judge Nicholas Rowland opted to issue Youth Rehabilitation Orders instead of detention, stating during the sentencing hearing that he wished to avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily.

The decision provoked an immediate backlash from the victims and their families. One of the victims, now aged 16, spoke out to express her devastation over the judicial outcome, comparing the ruling to a rock straight in my face.

“It 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 said.

The teenager questioned the entire judicial process, describing the lenient punishment as a slap on the wrist for the perpetrators.

“Why did I sit and put myself through the pain of going to court, going through a trial, reliving everything because of evidence and watching it all happen again?” she said.

Responding to her public account, Sir Keir described the interview as a harrowing and brave testimony, praising both victims for demonstrating extraordinary bravery and strength in heinous circumstances.

“This is an appalling case and it is right that law officers are urgently reviewing the sentences,” the Prime Minister said.

Under British law, the attorney general has a 28-day window to determine whether the sentences should be referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient. Cabinet Minister Darren Jones indicated that the government intends to act far more swiftly than the statutory deadline.

“We all want to look at this urgently,” Mr Jones said, emphasizing that the victims deserve justice, as do their families, both for them but also for other girls that are put in that position.

The specific sentencing terms saw two of the boys, now aged 15, receive three-year rehabilitation orders coupled with 180 days of intensive supervision for multiple counts of rape and the creation of indecent images.

The third defendant, now aged 14, received an 18-month order for encouraging the January 2025 assault. Had custodial terms been applied, the boys would have been placed in secure youth centres rather than adult prisons.

The ruling has triggered a rare moment of cross-party consensus, with politicians across the spectrum demanding systemic accountability.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stated she was sickened by the case, arguing that the crime could hardly be graver, yet the punishment was no punishment at all.

Shadow Minister for Women Mims Davies also demanded immediate transparency from the justice system.

“I think it’s absolutely right that we need to listen to women in this,” Ms Davies said, noting that wider choices by the Labour government need to be looked at too as women feel public safety measures are regressing.

Reform UK Member of Parliament Robert Jenrick argued that justice had clearly failed to be served, suggesting the judiciary must face consequences for severe lapses in judgment.

“If a judge has made a very bad error, which I think has happened in this case, they should be accountable for it,” Mr Jenrick said.

Liberal Democrat attorney general spokesperson Ben Maguire branded the case as utterly horrific, calling for the legal assessment to be handled swiftly and decisively.

A formal government spokesperson reiterated that the administration shares the public’s shock regarding the details of the horrific case, confirming that the law officers are handling the review with the utmost care and attention.

Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza expressed deep concern over the societal message the ruling sends to young women.

“I don’t want any young girl in this country to feel that can happen and not be addressed properly,” Dame Rachel said, confirming her office would provide direct support to the affected families. – May 25, 2026