Boys' sentences for rape to be reviewed in July

Boys' sentences for rape to be reviewed in July9 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleCurtis LancasterSouth of EnglandOne of the girls was attacked in an underpass beside the River AvonThe sentences of three teenage boys who were spared custody over the rape of two girls will be reviewed at the Court of Appeal in July.Two 15-year-olds were given non-custodial sentences after attacking the girls in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, by a judge who said he wanted to "avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily".A third boy, now aged 14, was also convicted at Southampton Crown Court for his involvement in the second attack and an indecent images offence.Sir Keir Starmer previously announced that the "distressing" case would be referred to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient scheme.The sentences will now be considered by senior judges at a two-day hearing starting on 1 July.Discussing the referral, Attorney General Lord Hermer said there was "an epidemic of violence against women and girls in this country" and that the two girls "displayed immense bravery in coming forward".The full transcript of the judge's sentencing remarks were made publicly available after the BBC requested they be transcribed. They reveal the complex sentencing exercise, including submissions about the boys' neurological impairments and their capacity to understand the impact that they had had on the victims.In his sentencing remarks, Judge Nicholas Rowland said the offences committed by the two 15-year-olds "crossed the custody threshold".He also said guidelines for youth offenders state custody should be considered as a "last resort", and he "must have regard to the objectives of youth justice being to prevent offending by children and the welfare of the child".He said: "I must consider the respective ages of the children at the time when these offences were committed."As was made clear i...