The original sentences handed down by Judge Nicholas Rowland in a high-profile rape case have been overturned, with the two ringleaders now facing four years in prison.
The case involved two 15-year-old boys who, along with a 13-year-old accomplice, gang-raped a 14-year-old girl in a field in January 2025. The boys also forced another girl into a "threesome" in an underpass in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in November 2024.
The original soft sentences, which were described as "absurdly lenient," were handed down by Judge Rowland, who cited the boys' "low intelligence" and "very young" age as factors in his decision.
However, the sentences were challenged under the Unduly Lenient Scheme, a piece of legislation that allows the Court of Appeal to review and override sentences deemed too lenient.
On Thursday, Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr told the boys that their actions were "so bad that we decided we had no other choice but to make these sentences." She also criticized Judge Rowland's assessment of the level of harm caused to the victims, stating that he "erred" in his judgment.
The victims' families expressed relief and gratitude at the harsher sentences, which they said were a step in the right direction towards justice.
One of the victims, who was gang-raped in January 2025, spoke out about the trauma she endured, saying that she still struggles to cope with the aftermath of the attack.
She told the court that she relives the incident every day, and that the trial was a traumatic and horrific experience that made her relive the event again and again.
The Court of Appeal's decision to override Judge Rowland's original sentences has been welcomed by those who felt that justice had not been served in the initial ruling.
The case highlights the importance of the Unduly Lenient Scheme, which provides a mechanism for challenging sentences deemed too lenient and ensuring that justice is served.
