Fordingbridge boy rapists given custody sentences by Court of Appeal
In a statement read by lawyer Charlotte Proudman following the appeal court decision, the family of victim C1, referred to as Jazmine (not her real name), said they had experienced “a nightmare that no family should have to endure”.
They added: “Today’s verdict cannot erase our daughter’s suffering but it recognizes the seriousness of these crimes.”
He also read Jazmine’s words: “I feel like I’m the one being punished, like I’m the one living in prison even though I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“What happened to me hurt me so deeply that I don’t think I will ever be the same again,” he said.
The statement continued: “We would also like to thank Laura Kuennesburg and the BBC for giving us a platform on which to make our voices heard. Lord Hermer, the Attorney-General, for quickly recognizing the need for this appeal.”
Jazmine’s family founded the Stronger Than Silence Foundation, a charity that provides support to victims of sexual violence and their families.
The family of victim C2 said in a statement that the original sentences were “devastating”.
“[They] We had the feeling that the damage done to our daughter was not fully appreciated.
“While no sentence can take away the trauma he endured, today’s verdict gives us a greater sense that justice has been served and those responsible have been held properly accountable.
“We are extremely proud of our daughter’s courage and strength throughout this long and difficult process.”
Warning: This story contains details that some may find upsetting
At the time of the rape, X and Y were 14 years old and Z was 13 years old. Between them they were convicted of 10 rapes.
When Judge Nicholas Rowland handed down the first sentences at Southampton Crown Court in May, there was a backlash from the girls and their families, as well as politicians. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as a “horrific case”.
In his statement, Carr said Rowland had carried out “careful sentencing” but the non-custodial sentences for X and Y were “unduly lenient” because they did not fully take into account the psychological harm suffered by both victims.
Rowland had given X and Y three-year Youth Rehabilitation Orders (YROs) with 180 days of intensive supervision and control.
Z, now 14 years old, was given an 18-month YRO.
All three boys were given a three-month curfew and a 10-year restraining order preventing them from contacting their victims.
One of the girls (C1) was 15 when she was raped by X and Y after having consensual sexual intercourse with X in an underpass near a river in Fordingbridge in November 2024. Parts of the rape were filmed.
The second girl, C2, aged 14, was raped by X and Y at a recreation area in Fordingbridge in January 2025. Before the rape began, there was again some consensual sexual activity, and again, some parts of the rape were filmed, this time by boy Z.
During the appeal hearing, Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr criticized the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for issuing a false press release suggesting a knife was involved in the rapes.
