Teenage rape victim is 'overwhelmed by fear and retraumatised' as her attackers are finally sentenced to jail - as family say they STILL don't know how long they'll spend behind bars

Published: 09:27, 4 July 2026 | Updated: 09:28, 4 July 2026 A teenage girl who was raped by two boys who were initially spared jail for good behaviour said she has been left to relive the trauma, causing her to be 'overwhelmed by fear', as the rapists are re-sentenced.  Jazmine, not her real name, was violently attacked by the two teen rapists who were then aged 14 in an underpass by the River Avon in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.  The boys filmed the assault, which occurred in November 2024, and later shared the footage online. The now 15-year-olds, known only as X and Y, were originally given suspended sentences in May after being convicted of rape and indecent image offences involving two 'vulnerable' girls aged 14 and 15.  Judge Nicholas Rowland praised the boys for how they had behaved during the trial.  However, on Thursday the Court of Appeal ruled the sentences were 'unduly lenient' and re-sentenced them to four years' detention following an application by Attorney General Lord Hermer.  It now remains unclear how long X and Y will spend behind bars before being released, after time spent on curfew was taken into account.   The ordeal has left Jazmine to feel 'terribly overwhelmed and retraumatised by everything', her parents said, while she 'hasn't processed it yet'.  Pictured: One of 15-year-olds convicted of rape following a five-week trial at Southampton Crown Court. None of the attackers can be named because of their age Pictured: The other 15-year-old, who was today given a four-year detention order   The parents, who have described the renewed sentence as still 'not enough', said: 'She knows they have gone to prison. It doesn't make her currently feel any more free around her local area.  'It doesn't change the fear at the moment. That needs to sink in and she needs to process that.'  After raping Jazmine, X and Y went on to rape a second victim in a field in January 2025, while encouraged by a third teenage boy, known as 14-year-old Z.  Z, who was 13 at the time, was also spared custody in May, with Judge Rowland stating that he should 'avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily' and that detention was a 'last resort'. Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, Mrs Justice Norton and Lord Justice Edis increased the older boys' sentences after Lord Hermer referred the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The trio, who cannot be identified because of their ages, appeared at the London court via video link from Southampton Crown Court, where they were originally sentenced in May. X and Y were each given four years' detention in a young offender institution, while the youngest boy's sentence remained unchanged. Baroness Carr told the boys: 'We have thought very hard about everything we have read, and everything we have been told. One of the rapes took place in this underpass by the River Avon in Fordingbridge in Hampshire, in November 2024 'Having done so, we have decided that we do need to change your sentences, and that both of you do need to go into detention. 'We have made this decision because we think that what you both did was so bad that we have no other choice. 'You both raped two girls on two different occasions. You were enjoying it and egging each other on. You made it worse by filming what you did, which was a horrible thing to do.' The boys are pursuing appeals against their convictions, Baroness Carr also said, adding that any appeal 'will be decided separately'.  Speaking after the ruling, Jazmine's parents said 'the sentence will never be enough', adding the Court of Appeal should not be required to 'correct justice', which they said 'should be done correctly, first time, every time'. 'You've raped my daughter. Whatever amount of time you spend in detention won't be enough to stop the pain and suffering that you've caused,' they said.  The parents also called for the boys' sentences to remain separate and to not run consecutively, adding the attacks were 'two separate crimes on separate days, separate incidents, months apart'.   Jazmine's mother added: 'How could any mother be happy with four years? Jazmine is going to live with a lifetime of trauma, and she's going to live with a lifetime sentence. Appeal Court judges (left to right) Ms Justice Norton, Lord Justice Edis and Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr ruled the two older teenagers should go into custody 'Of course, it's not enough, but it's more than we had... So, I have to be grateful.' In a victim personal statement provided to the Court of Appeal, Jazmine said the sentencing hearing in May left her feeling 'invisible and unimportant' and that she felt 'disappointed, let down and confused' by the criminal justice system. She said: 'I feel like a little child again in some ways, but also like I have had to deal with things that are far too adult and far too horrible. 'I feel stuck between being a child who needs help and being expected to carry on like a young adult. It is confusing and exhausting. I feel like I do not belong. 'I do not belong at school because I feel different from everyone else. I do not belong outside because I feel unsafe. 'I do not belong in my own body because it makes me feel sick. I do not belong in my old life because that person feels gone. 'I do not know where I am supposed to fit anymore.' The family said their goal for the future is 'survival' and to 'rebuild', while continuing to develop their Stronger than Silence foundation to support other survivors of sexual violence to 'give them a place to know that they don't have to be silent, they don't have to feel ashamed'. They continued: 'I cannot think of anything more important, because if we stay silent, nothing's going to change. We can't live in a world where sexual assault and sexual violence are brushed over like it is not something serious. 'For the sake of all girls and women who've ever experienced sexual violence in any form, we have to have a voice; we have to talk about it.' They added: 'We don't only want to help with grants for respite care, therapy, education, and so forth. We want to help with campaigning, lobbying and making sure we fight for change.' They also said: 'Now is our time to stand up, not only for Jazmine, but for other survivors, past and future. 'We understand we're not going to live in a world where there is no sexual violence. We just need to live in a world where there is support and guidance and understanding for those survivors.' Jazmine's parents also said they had no animosity towards the boys, but urged them to 'use your time wisely' while serving their sentences. They said: 'Take your opportunity in detention to begin to truly rehabilitate, because everybody should be afforded the opportunity to rehabilitate, but rehabilitation alone in this case was not the answer.' The case provoked a strong reaction from politicians and members of the public aghast that the teens had been spared custody.  Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said after the Court of Appeal ruling: 'These despicable youths should have been jailed. 'This is a sickening case of soft justice.' 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