Three teenage boys were convicted of sexual offences against two girls and, in May 2026, were given community sentences, causing public outcry about the leniency of the judge. The matter was heard in the Court of Appeal in July 2026 and the sentences of two of the boys were overturned. They now face four years’ detention.

In November 2024, one victim was raped by two of the defendants after the victim met one of them online and went to meet him.

In January 2025 two of the same defendants took it in turns to rape a second victim whilst the other boy encouraged them and filmed the assaults.

In March 2026, the boys were convicted of a total of 10 counts of rape between them. There were 17 sexual offences committed in total.

On 21 May 2026, the three boys were sentenced at Southampton Crown Court by Judge Nicholas Rowland. Two received three-year youth rehabilitation orders and one received an 18-month youth rehabilitation order.

A youth rehabilitation order is a community sentence which can be tailored to each child. Two of the boys, as part of their youth rehabilitation orders, were sentenced to 180 days of intensive supervision and surveillance. Crucially, the boys were not sentenced to any time in prison.

The judge considered various mitigating factors during sentencing, such as the role of peer pressure and the personal circumstances of the offenders. One, for instance, was noted to have extreme neurodevelopmental impairment and another to have mild cognitive impairment.

Following the sentencing, there was widespread public concern that the sentences were too lenient and the matter was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General.

One of the victims spoke about the devastating impact, not only of the assaults but of the trial itself, describing it as “horrific” and “traumatising”. She said that the trial lasted over five and a half weeks and she gave evidence about what happened to her.

The original sentences highlight a wider concern about the treatment of survivors by the justice system. For survivors, the process of going through a criminal trial and giving evidence can in itself be incredibly challenging, with survivors feeling forced to relive what happened to them and many describe feeling humiliated in court. Victims are often already hesitant about coming forward for fear that they will not be believed or taken seriously.  Where the criminal justice system does not appear to treat such offences with the gravity they deserve, the impact both on survivors themselves and on public faith in the system can be great.

In July 2026, the Court of Appeal heard that the judge did not treat the boys’ offending with sufficient seriousness and overturned two of the boys’ non-custodial sentences. They now face four years in detention, whilst the sentence of the third boy remains the same.

The families of the girls said that they are “relieved” now that the original sentences have been overturned and that “justice has been served”.

Confidential legal support for survivors of sexual abuse

At Switalskis, our specialist child abuse and sexual abuse solicitors understand how difficult it can be to speak about experiences of abuse.

We provide confidential, trauma-informed legal advice to survivors of abuse by police officers and other professionals. If you are considering reporting abuse, exploring a compensation claim or simply want to understand your legal rights, we will believe you and we will listen to you without judgement. Even if you feel unsure, taking the first step to speak to a legal expert will ensure you have all your legal options explained to you, and we ensure to support you at a pace that feels right for you.

No one should have to face the impact of abuse alone. Whenever you are ready, our team is here to help.

If you have been impacted and would like to disuss your experience in confidence, our specialist abuse team can help. Call us on 0808 258 8041 , email help@switalskis.com , or fill out the form below.