Teen girl raped by teenage boys says she wants freedom from fear as sentences referred to Court of Appeal

A 14-year-old girl who was raped by three teenage boys in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, has told the BBC she wants to be able to walk outside without fear of encountering her attackers. Her father described the January 2025 attack as causing a "lifelong impact" on his daughter, adding that the family is seeking a custodial sentence for the boys. The sentences, which initially spared the offenders custody, are now being reviewed by the Court of Appeal following public outcry.

Sentencing and judicial rationale

The three boys involved in the attack were convicted in March after a trial at Southampton Crown Court. Two boys, then aged 14, were found guilty of rape. A third boy, then 13, was convicted of rape by aiding and abetting the attack. All three cannot be named because they are children. The two older offenders, now 15, were given three-year Youth Rehabilitation Orders with 180 days of intensive surveillance and supervision. The third boy, now 14, received an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order. All three were also placed under a three-month curfew and issued a 10-year restraining order prohibiting contact with their victims.

In his sentencing decision, Judge Nicholas Rowland said he aimed to avoid "criminalising" the "very young" boys, while also stressing the "seriousness" of the offenses. The Sentencing Council for England and Wales states that even in very serious cases, courts are expected to prioritise rehabilitation for children and use custody only as a last resort.

Victim trauma and family impact

The teenage girl, speaking anonymously to BBC Newsnight presenter Victoria Derbyshire alongside her parents, described significant mental health deterioration since the attack. "I feel like no matter what I do, I can always feel their hands [the rapists'] on me, no matter how much I've scrubbed, how much I've tried to get the feeling away, it's always there and it just doesn't feel like my body anymore," she said. She reported suffering from "vivid flashbacks" and difficulty sleeping: "I don't sleep at night, because I'm worried something's going to happen." Her school attendance has dropped sharply: "I have very low attendance and with my exams going on it's not helping because I'm so far behind in my education. I'm just losing out on the potential I would have had if none of this had happened."

Her father said the rape "will cause a lifelong impact on my daughter and my family. This isn't going away for five years, 10 years. This is a life sentence for her." He added: "I understand that we may not be able to lock these boys up for a life sentence but it starts with a custodial sentence and I feel they have to have something in there, going forwards, that impacts them for life." Her mother said she wanted her daughter not to "live in fear" but to "be able to be free and happy again".

Details of the attack

The girl met the boys in January 2025 at Fordingbridge Recreation Ground, where she was raped repeatedly. One of her attackers pushed her down and used a knife to cut her clothing before forcing himself on her. Video footage previously seen in court showed her lying motionless on the ground with "her face buried in her hands", while another boy was heard shouting words of encouragement. The boys filmed the rapes on their phones and later shared some of the footage online. They denied the charges but were convicted on 10 rape counts between them.

In a separate incident, another girl, then aged 15, was raped by the two 14-year-old boys in November 2024.

Context

The case echoes other instances in the United Kingdom where non-custodial sentences for child sexual offenders have sparked legal challenges. In 2021, the Court of Appeal increased sentences for two teenagers who raped a 13-year-old girl in a park in Greater Manchester, after the original youth rehabilitation orders were deemed unduly lenient.