Outcry over lenient sentence for teenage rapists in Britain: 'You don't want a society where girls have to grow up like that'

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday that a very controversial verdict in a minor rape case will be referred to the Court of Appeal. The British Prime Minister shares the stunned and shocked public reaction.

Two girls then aged 15 and 14 were raped in two separate incidents in November 2024 and January 2025 by two then 14-year-old boys. The horrific events took place in the English town of Fordingbridge, in the county of Hampshire. The two boys trapped their victims each time and took turns raping the girls. The very young perpetrators filmed everything with their phones and then shared footage of the rapes online.

"Verdict feels like a stone in the face"

The two perpetrators, who are now 15 years old, were not sentenced to prison last week but were given a youth rehabilitation order. Such "Youth Rehabilitation Order" is a type of community service for children and can include unpaid work, a curfew or the obligation to undergo treatment. The judge justified this remarkable decision by saying he wanted to avoid "unnecessarily criminalizing these children." The victims, their families and quite a few residents of Britain could not believe their ears when the sentencing was announced. One of the victims told the BBC that the verdict felt "like a stone in the face." A storm of criticism has not subsided since then, and now, even the British prime minister decided to respond.

"These girls deserve justice"

Darren Jones, chief of cabinet and coordinating top minister to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and himself a father of three daughters, had to fight his emotions on Sunday in a televised interview with the BBC. "These girls deserve justice, as do their families, not just for themselves, but for other girls who find themselves in a similar situation," he echoed. "And frankly, boys need to know that they really can't behave like this and get away with this. You don't want a society where girls have to grow up like that," he openly condemned the judge's ruling on national television.

Hampshire Police Commissioner Donna Jones also called the sentences "far too lenient" in a response this week. "I find it very troubling that these boys thought that they could commit such heinous acts and share them online without having to go to jail for it. And now they have been vindicated," she responded to BBC in dismay.

Of course, the British Prime Minister cannot intervene himself, but the surprised and shocked reactions were not without consequence. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer does point out that the Attorney General has the power to refer the case to the Court of Appeal if he believes the punishment is too lenient. "That has now happened," the prime minister said. "Which is clearly the right decision," he added.

According to Attorney General Richard Hermer, there has been "understandably enormous public interest and concern about this horrific case. There is an epidemic of violence against women and girls in this country, and this government will not hesitate to take action so that women and girls feel safe and have confidence in justice."