Judge lets three boy rapist go free with no jail time

It’s truly disgusting. The boys were from the travelling community where getting married very young is the norm. And of course they played the ADHD card and the intelligence marking. You really couldn’t make this up.

Shame on the judge. What if had been their daughter or do they think it would NEVER happen to someone that moved in their circles.

And they pleaded NOT GUILTY. Where are their parents in this too?

I don't know if judges can be struck off as in healthcare but they should be.

There's not enough transparency about the regulation of judges.

Who over sees their work? Do they have supervision - as in like clinical supervision where they have a peer or senior appraise their processes, do they do CPD?

It seems Victorian the way they rule in an almost unchallenged, monarchal process. There is so little light shone on the (mostly male: 70% irrc) judges who are making these decisions.

She’s so brave. Often victims understandably don’t feel up to this and the story centres on the perpetrators.

Girls and women saying how it makes them feel is incredibly hard but powerful.

I’m beyond angry. It’s essentially a “boys will be boys” ruling! I have 3 teenage girls and I was raped at 19. I never reported it because of this kind of thing. I’m sad things haven’t changed.

This is being reviewed

We don't know their names do we? The rapists names?

It’s absolutely horrific. I’m glad that the BBC have centred the voice of one of the victim’s today. I’m sure it’s awful for her, but people need to know about this injustice. I have so much respect for her speaking out like this.

There is now a note on the website saying not to report this case, unless linked to it, as it has been reported so many times.

submit.forms.service.gov.uk/form/696/apply-to-have-an-unduly-lenient-sentence-reviewed/UrNqWVsY

So old enough to vote at 16, apparently, but not to face consequences for horrific crimes. Make it make sense.

The other thing that the judge seems to fail to take into account of these "very young" boys (who will be adults in the blink of an eye but anyway) is that a very young girl can potentially concieve as a result of rape and then have to have an additional set of awful challenges ahead, which would heap a world of adulthood on her. But obviously its these young boys that he is impressed by their behaviour in court. He feels that they've been through enough. Of course he does.

The imbalance is insane.

I keep shaking my head when I think about it.

There should be no male judge involved in a rape case where the victim is a girl. He doesn't have female body.

And if he has daughters shame on him. He lets men and women down but most of all girls.

Unfortunately the judiciary is full of people like this judge. That’s why people are losing faith in the justice system. They are more interested in wokery and pushing their left wing political agenda rather than giving a toss about the victims.

Wonder if these judge will suffer any consequences for being a rape apologist.

Yes, it is actually horrifying.

Completely unreasonable to practically legalise gang rape, what message does this send?

How do you do this?

What is judgement for, these days? Just to sigh over mitigating circumstances? What about creating deterrents so that mitigating circumstances can be overcome. Wtaf, so so so so tired about the huge fear of giving consequences for criminality.

Someone upthread has mentioned that as this case is now being reviewed, there is no need for anyone to apply for the review, which is good news. From the gov.uk website:
We are already considering applications to have the sentences in the following case reviewed:

• Three unnamed offenders aged 15, 15, and 14, sentenced on 21st May 2026 in Southampton Crown Court for sexual offences including rape.

We can all ask for this case to be reviewed as "unduly lenient". I learned this here a few days ago. You can do so at Gov.uk. It asks for the defendants names and I copied and pasted a link to the case in that box. I think this case will be reviewed, but we definitely need to do all we can to ensure it is.

They will be protected by their community. Noone would be daft enough to take them on.

I think judges need to be made aware that the sentence is not just about rehabilitating the offenders ... it is about deterring others.

There has to be a really strong deterrent for rape. If this lenient sentence stands, there will be a lot more teenage rapists, that is for sure.

Sad to say, but footage of the real life gang rape of a teenage girl is pornographic gold. If teenagers are not going to be severely punished for it, I can imagine them being groomed into doing it by organised criminals. Just as they are groomed into the drugs trade for similar reasons. Get a grip, judiciary, please.

I feel that my hours of mindless Mumsnetting finally became worthwhile when someone posted about this a few days ago and said that we (ie, anyone) could ask for a review of this case as "unduly lenient". I think it has gained traction since then. I certainly put forward a request to have this reviewed and I know lots of other people have. I didn't even know that was a "thing", to be honest. Nicholas Rowland is a disgusting human being, based on this case. I sincerely hope he doesn't have daughters. Or sons. I wouldn't want to be him right now. I wouldn't want to be associated with him in any way.

He described them as ‘very young children’.

‘very young children’ are incapable of rape. They will have gone through puberty. they will have had lessons in school about sexual behaviour. He didn’t want to ‘criminalise’ them. But they are criminals!

along with a sentence review the judge should get retraining. I wonder what his wife/daughter/female acquaintances said when they heard. If that was my husband I would rip him a new one.

That’s the government petitions site. White parliament might debate sentencing guidelines in general they won’t debate a specific sentence as that would be stepping on the independence of the judiciary.