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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

The three boys accused of taking it in turns to rape a girl have been found not guilty

521 replies

Lougle · 19/03/2026 08:04

The three boys accused of taking it in turns to rape a girl have been found not guilty on all counts despite some of the incident being filmed. How could that be? That poor girl. I believe in justice, I wasn't in court. I just can't understand it though.

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SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 19/03/2026 09:21

Naunet · 19/03/2026 08:33

I'd bet its because the jury didn't want to 'ruin the lives' of 3 little rapists.

To be fair your reply is pretty pathetic. It is an appalling case but giving the reason for this verdict is absolute nonsense

likelysuspect · 19/03/2026 09:21

There should be a statutory Serious Case Review, where significant harm is caused to a child (or a child death depending on circumstances)

Does anyone know if there is one?

TheRuffleandthePearl · 19/03/2026 09:22

RoseField1 · 19/03/2026 08:36

Fucking hell. How the fuck did the jury come up with not guilty?! She was 13, a virgin, overheard saying she didn't want to have sex, filmed against her consent. How could they decide this wasn't rape???

It’s truly appalling and sickening. That jury is shameful, just awful, may they rot in hell.

Violence against women and girls is an epidemic and this will just further embolden rapists and peadophiles. If actual filmed evidence isn’t enough, then no one need fear getting prosecuted.

I feel so badly for that poor girl. I hope she gets all the support possible.

Pudmyboy · 19/03/2026 09:22

GinaandGin · 19/03/2026 09:03

The 'why didn't she fight back" is a rape myth .
70% of victims freeze

I do agree, @Ionlymakejokestodistractmyself is so wrong to bring this as a 'defence'

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 19/03/2026 09:22

It enrages me that somehow society believes that a 13 yr old can consent to sex, filmed, with multiple boys.

What kind of society has a system that believes that possible?

YanbuOk · 19/03/2026 09:22

DrBlackbird · 19/03/2026 09:08

This is where it all becomes unstuck.

How does a 12 year old girl ‘consent’ to being raped/having sex with three boys?? How can she consent to an act whereby she does not know what it will involve or what the repercussions will be for her physically or emotionally or psychologically? The very premise of consent under these circumstances is laughable to the extreme.

What a terrible world we’re living in when three boys believe this is acceptable. Where a 12 year old girl is traumatised for life. Twice. Once by the boys and then again by the courts. Where people believe a 12 year can ‘consent’ to that experience. Because what? Where a female barrister (deliberately chosen to be female) relishes attacking the testimony of a young vulnerable girl. Where our ‘anything goes’ social media, online pornified saturated content is readily available. And the Labour allegedly do-gooder MPs vote against a ban.

Just what have we come to?

I agree. Absolutely appalling.

DrBlackbird · 19/03/2026 09:23

Yes of course defence barristers are an important part of the justice system. Innocent people as well as the guilty are accused and tried. But in this case, posters are pointing to the egregiousness of using rape myths to attack a 12/13 year old girl who was raped by three boys.

There’s defence and there’s ruthlessly destroying the victim defence. So I’m guessing it was more this as the motivation: Although there were definitely multiple colleagues who had God complexes and their motivation was to prove they were the smartest person in the room.

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 19/03/2026 09:25

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 19/03/2026 09:21

To be fair your reply is pretty pathetic. It is an appalling case but giving the reason for this verdict is absolute nonsense

Eh? There are plenty of cases where the guilty person is given a non punishment so their lives aren’t ruined. I’d be really surprised I’d juries don’t have the same thought process, given judges often do.

likelysuspect · 19/03/2026 09:25

I dont know why posters are citing the 'freeze' response as a reason why in this case jurors found the boys not guilty.

We have no idea of their reasoning.

DrBlackbird · 19/03/2026 09:27

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 19/03/2026 09:21

To be fair your reply is pretty pathetic. It is an appalling case but giving the reason for this verdict is absolute nonsense

But we have seen this as one of the reasons for the jury or judge to pronounce not guilty or a light non custodial sentence . In one case, it was a young female medical student who stabbed her boyfriend. IIRC the judge didn’t want to ruin her promising career.

vladimirVsvolodymr · 19/03/2026 09:28

Where are the parents of all these children? How come parents do not know where their kids are? Terrible behaviour from parents and kids. Parents need to talk to their kids about consent and the implications of having sex but 11/13/14/15 should not be having sex but in reality it is not the case.
There was a case years ago where a girl was having sex in her house with a boy, her dad found them and later she said she was raped. He was taken to the station and questioned, insisted it was consensual and he was 16 at the time. Traumatic for everyone involved and she later recanted her statement and said she was embarrassed by being found out.
Young boys and girls need to be protected from themselves sometimes and it is so hard. I’m so sorry for everyone involved, they’ve been failed by the people that were supposed to protect them.

clarabowlips · 19/03/2026 09:28

A teenager sneaking into bushes with a boy she fancies. Doesn’t mean she wants to have sex.
Of course not, she may have thought, naively, that she would get a kiss or a hug. Unfortunately, these predatory boys were probably riddled with porn fantasies. All these young lads watching sick shit on the internet and SM in their bedrooms, sending dick pics, buying into misogynistic crap at a formative age, and egging one another on. They should have been locked up and 'de programmed' if that's at all possible.
I hope to God she has had some help since.

OhWise1 · 19/03/2026 09:29

Posts like this are pointless
We are seeing a few cherry-picked paragraphs about the case whereas the jurors have heard days worth of evidence. It is ridiculous to assume on that basis we can discern whether there was a miscarriage of justice.

Watdidusay · 19/03/2026 09:29

Lougle · 19/03/2026 08:43

The defence case, according to the article, is that she was 'inconsistent' in her behaviour, that she looked at them like she fancied them, and that she was fine with having gang sex until someone walked past and called her a slag, which made her regret her decision and cry rape.

Perhaps I'm really, really naive. I can't imagine a situation where a 12 year old girl would consent to 3 people having sex with her at the same time.

I can't find anywhere saying she was 12. Everywhere says she was 13 at the time. Where did you get 12 from?

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 19/03/2026 09:29

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 19/03/2026 09:25

Eh? There are plenty of cases where the guilty person is given a non punishment so their lives aren’t ruined. I’d be really surprised I’d juries don’t have the same thought process, given judges often do.

The word you are looking for is "niave" not surprised. A verdict is in no way linked to a sentence

Itsmetheflamingo · 19/03/2026 09:31

Watdidusay · 19/03/2026 09:29

I can't find anywhere saying she was 12. Everywhere says she was 13 at the time. Where did you get 12 from?

I think this is really key as if she was 12 the law of consent should make this an obvious guilty verdict. It seems unclear how old she is

Lougle · 19/03/2026 09:31

Watdidusay · 19/03/2026 09:29

I can't find anywhere saying she was 12. Everywhere says she was 13 at the time. Where did you get 12 from?

The MEN article said 12 this morning, I'm sure of it. The text was in bold print. The bold print text has since gone and says 13.

OP posts:
Itsmetheflamingo · 19/03/2026 09:31

vladimirVsvolodymr · 19/03/2026 09:28

Where are the parents of all these children? How come parents do not know where their kids are? Terrible behaviour from parents and kids. Parents need to talk to their kids about consent and the implications of having sex but 11/13/14/15 should not be having sex but in reality it is not the case.
There was a case years ago where a girl was having sex in her house with a boy, her dad found them and later she said she was raped. He was taken to the station and questioned, insisted it was consensual and he was 16 at the time. Traumatic for everyone involved and she later recanted her statement and said she was embarrassed by being found out.
Young boys and girls need to be protected from themselves sometimes and it is so hard. I’m so sorry for everyone involved, they’ve been failed by the people that were supposed to protect them.

12/13/14 year olds do go out without their parents?!

likelysuspect · 19/03/2026 09:32

DrBlackbird · 19/03/2026 09:27

But we have seen this as one of the reasons for the jury or judge to pronounce not guilty or a light non custodial sentence . In one case, it was a young female medical student who stabbed her boyfriend. IIRC the judge didn’t want to ruin her promising career.

But we dont know the reasons why jurors come to their conclusion, its not published.

And judges dont pronounce 'not guilty' with a reasoning do they? Unless Im confused.

A custodial sentence means they've been found guilty so that undermines what you alleged about not wanting to ruin someones life with a guilty verdict.

Itsmetheflamingo · 19/03/2026 09:33

OhWise1 · 19/03/2026 09:29

Posts like this are pointless
We are seeing a few cherry-picked paragraphs about the case whereas the jurors have heard days worth of evidence. It is ridiculous to assume on that basis we can discern whether there was a miscarriage of justice.

Hardly cherry picked- There is video footage of sexual activity. The evidence isn’t really under dispute is it?

if it didn’t come down to she said no he said yes , what else could it be? There is no denial it took place.

DrBlackbird · 19/03/2026 09:33

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 19/03/2026 09:21

You just need to watch The Jury on channel 4 to know exactly what happened in that retiring room. Time to get rid of juries.

The problem is that we cannot rely on judges either to be free of prejudice, bias or holding inaccurate beliefs. Especially ones that hurt girls and women. Look what’s happened to family courts eg the "presumption of contact" law that assumed children benefit from contact with both parents. Now being repealed after a decade of children being killed by abusive fathers.

vladimirVsvolodymr · 19/03/2026 09:35

Itsmetheflamingo · 19/03/2026 09:31

12/13/14 year olds do go out without their parents?!

I have a 13 year old and I know where he is without being with him. I know he will not be gallivanting on trams or in bushes. I know he will be sensible enough to know right from wrong. Amazing that’s all you took from the post.

LayaM · 19/03/2026 09:36

I looked up Rachel Shenton and her notable successful cases profile is mostly a list of men being acquitted for sexual and domestic crimes, including grooming.

I'm not normally into going after lawyers themselves as I understand everyone has a right to a fair trial. But I must admit my mind boggles that a woman would want to make that a specialty she is proud of

likelysuspect · 19/03/2026 09:36

Does a child need to be gallivanting? Were they on their way home from school or a friends house?

L0V315 · 19/03/2026 09:37

Fucking hell, poor poor girl, she will never get over her rape abuse. It will stay with her for the rest of her life.

The jury should be ashamed of themselves.

There was enough evidence for this to get to court, which is really really rare in rape cases. Absolutely disgusting.

Girls and women are advised to go to the police when they have been raped, this is why they dont....