Female cop makes moving statement over teens spared jail for rape | UK | News

A serving female police officer has issued a heartbreaking four-word statement after a court failed to jail three boys convicted of raping two girls. A hearing at Southampton Crown Court this week heard that two girls were raped on two separate occasions in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, the first on 26 November 2024 and the second on 17 January 2025.

The three boys, two aged 15 and one aged 14, were all spared a prison sentence and were only given youth rehabilitation orders (YROs); The two older boys were also subjected to intensive supervision and surveillance (ISS). Speaking to host Tom Swarbrick on LBC radio, the man, who identified himself only as Polly, said he was a serving police officer and added: “I’m absolutely disgusted.”

Polly continued: “This is a slap in the face. There was video evidence, almost never the case for rape convictions, and they still didn’t get a prison sentence.” Polly added that such incidents were “almost unheard of.” Tom added: “They didn’t, they raped two children,” before saying he should correct himself in his introductory speech in which he said the youths raped “two women”. “Yes they did, they raped two children,” said Polly.

The sentences of three teenagers who avoided jail time for their roles in the rape of two girls in a New Forest town have been described as “too lenient” by police and the Hampshire crime commission. Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said she was concerned that children could carry out such “horrific acts” and not be sentenced to prison.

He added that he would support the victims’ families if they objected to the “leniency” of the sentences.

He said: “This is an extremely disturbing case. I am deeply concerned that these children think they can commit such horrific acts and post them online and avoid going to jail.”

“Their sentences clearly reflect their focus on rehabilitation rather than criminalization. They are very lenient. They provide little comfort to their victims as they try to rebuild their lives after such harrowing experiences.”

“If the victims and their families decide to appeal the sentences, I will offer my support.

“It is vital that young people are educated about sexual violence and misogynistic attitudes if we are to prevent such crimes from happening again.

“My thoughts remain with the two young girls and their families.”

A 15-year-old boy was sentenced to three years YRO with 180 days ISS for the rape of two girls and two charges of indecent images. The court heard he was diagnosed with ADHD and “long-standing anxiety”.

A second 15-year-old boy was given the same sentence on three counts of rape against each of the two victims and four counts of indecent photography related to the filming of the events. He had an IQ “in the bottom 1% of his contemporaries” and was diagnosed with ADHD, the court was told.

A third boy, aged 14, was given an 18-month YRO for two rape charges for inciting the second defendant and presenting indecent images in the January incident. It was stated that he had “mild cognitive impairment”.

Judge Nicholas Rowland told the defendants: “I need to remember that you are not little adults. I need to think about how likely you are to do serious things again, and I need to make sure you don’t do serious things again in the future.”

Announcing his sentence, he added: “I must avoid needlessly criminalizing these children, understand the effects of their behavior and support their reintegration into society.”

He added that “peer pressure played a big role in what happened.”

The victim of the first incident came to court for the sentencing hearing and read a victim impact statement and a poem she had written towards her attackers in front of the boys. He described how his mental health has deteriorated since the incident, which has led him to isolate himself from his friends.

He said: “I was caught off guard, I never want that to happen again, I’ll never get that innocence back.”

The poem included the lines: “All I want to do is die, I’m not afraid of when that will come anymore.”

She added: “No one deserves the trauma of being raped.”

In a statement read on behalf of the second victim, he said his attendance at school had been negatively affected, adding: “I often feel overwhelmed, anxious and emotionally drained to the point where sitting in class becomes unbearable.”

She explained that she had nightmares and struggled to sleep, adding: “I feel ashamed of my own body, insecure and uncomfortable.”

She added: “The person I was before the incident is completely gone and sometimes I feel sorry for the person I used to be.”

The judge praised the bravery of the two girls in coming forward and giving evidence, and told the first victim: “I hope that when you look at today’s history you can take some solace in the fact that you showed that courage in coming to court.

“You and (the second daughter) showed great courage by coming to the hearing and speaking in this way.”

He added: “The sentence I impose cannot undo what happened to you.”

The children were also given a three-month curfew and given a 10-year restraining order preventing them from contacting their victims.

Prosecutor Jodie Mittel KC told the hearing that in the November incident, the girl, who was 15 at the time, visited the first defendant after meeting him on Snapchat.

The prosecutor said that after performing a sexual act on the boy, who was 14 at the time, he became “frightened and worried” when the second defendant joined them with a third boy, who was not charged. Ms Mittel said the girl felt “cornered and trapped” and “petrified” as the two defendants raped her while the incident was being filmed.

Ms. Mittel said videos of the incident later circulated, with others making jokes about her and messages calling her a “slut.” In the incident in January, the 14-year-old complainant was raped in an area close to the Fordingbridge recreation area, and the incident was filmed.

Lucy Paddick, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This is a deeply worrying case involving a disturbing level of encouragement between teenage boys who acted together to rape two teenage girls on separate occasions. These girls were coerced into sexual activity by the men who brazenly filmed the extremely distressing events.”

Siobhan Blake, national CPS lead for rape and serious sexual offenses (RASSO), said: “It is vital that young people are educated and informed about consent, tackling harmful and misogynistic attitudes as early as possible to prevent these crimes. “Everyone has a part to play.

“Young people need to understand that sexual activity without consent is a serious offense that could lead to prosecution.”