General · 26 May 2026
Judge's 'appalling' rape sentences now under review
Prompted by widespread public concern, the non-custodial penalties imposed on three adolescent males convicted of raping two girls are now being reviewed. Sir Keir Starmer called the judge's decision "appalling" after Youth Rehabilitation Orders were issued at Southampton Crown Court. The incidents affecting girls aged fifteen and fourteen years old transpired within Fordingbridge, Hampshire, across November of 2024 and January of 2025.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs