San Francisco Frontiers - Appeals court to review UK judge sparing teen rapists jail

A judge at Southampton Crown Court, in southern England, last week handed two 15-year-old boys non-custodial sentences for together raping two girls in 2024 and January 2025 and sharing video of the attacks online.

He also spared a 14-year-old boy prison time after he was convicted of two rape charges for encouraging the second defendant in last year's incident and an indecent images offence.

Judge Nicholas Rowland said at Thursday's hearing he wanted to "avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily".

However, the sentences provoked a severe backlash, and after several days' consideration, Attorney General Richard Hermer -- the government's chief legal adviser -- decided to refer them to the Court of Appeal in London for potentially being "unduly lenient".

"There has understandably been a huge amount of public interest, and concern, at this horrific case," he said in a statement.

"I directed my officials to work urgently, to allow me to consider this decision swiftly, and to begin to bring closure to the victims and their families."

His office added: "The Court of Appeal will now decide whether the sentence imposed was unduly lenient, and whether to increase the existing sentence."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer told broadcasters Tuesday that this was "clearly the right outcome".

Saying he found the case "distressing as a politician" and "as a father", the British leader praised the "courage" of the victims, one of whom spoke out against the sentences in a high-profile interview.

- 'Deeply shocked' -

The teenager, who was 15 at the time of the attack, told the BBC on Sunday he judge's sentencing remarks about avoiding criminalising the perpetrators "hit like a rock straight in my face".

"He (the judge) 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," she said.

French rape survivor Gisele Pelicot joined the chorus of criticism while visiting Britain.

She told the BBC on Tuesday she was "deeply shocked that these individuals were in fact able to gain their freedom again when in fact the victims are suffering so hard they will never be able to heal".

Pelicot has become a global symbol in the fight against sexual violence after she waived her right to anonymity during the 2024 trial of her ex-husband and dozens of strangers who raped her while she was unconscious.

The Court of Appeal will now consider whether the judge made a "gross error" under a legal scheme set up for cases where the attorney general suspects sentences are unduly lenient.

Rowland handed each of the 15-year-old boys a three-year youth rehabilitation order and 180 days of so-called intensive supervision and surveillance, after they were convicted of rape and taking indecent images.

D.Brown--SFF