Judge lets three boy rapist go free with no jail time

[ThreadGuardDog]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/24/uk-judge-decision-rape-girls-hampshire

The judge said he wanted to avoid the boys attracting a criminal record so early in life. Is it so unreasonable to think that they should have thought of that before they committed the crime ? Rape/sexual assault, is up 10% according to national statistics. With sentences like these, reflecting the clear misogyny within the judiciary , is it any wonder ?

Thoughts ?

The PM has no such power. That would be down to the Lord Chancellor (David Lammy) and the Chief Justice (Baroness Carr). The process is described here: www.complaints.judicialconduct.gov.uk/rulesandregulations/MisconductandRecommendingSanctions

I read the PM has power to suspend high court judges. But either way - Starmer is Lammy's boss so if it's true Lammy can - then he can tell him to.

That's ridiculous.

The pelicot(male, ofc!!) judge asked the men who couldn't get an erection, why not- the implication being that it is obviously an arousing situation and that the men who couldn't "perform" were somehow the odd ones.

The bias is writ large

To say that these rapists did it for content is 1) equally alarming and 2) minimises (again!) the very serious offences they committed, not once, but ten times.

All I hear is excuse and minimising language.

It's toxic from the top down.

Exactly.

This really nails it

That’s not how government works, and even if it did it requires agreement of the Lady Chief Justice, who’s boss is the king, not the PM.

That is not right. A judge can still act within his or her own discretion. Yes sentencing guidelines should be considered but a judge can make any sentence they like, but they must justify it and say why.

In this instance, Nicholas Rowland did say why. But his reasoning seems to have been so detached from the planning, premeditated nature and harm done that it is going to be unduly lenient by the time the Court of Appeal hear the case.

A lot is going to be made of their ages and ADHD. To be honest that does not seem to match the degree of organization and planning done, and use of a knife, and repeat offending. To me that would suggest a very long time in detention.

Agreed.

And what message does it send?

What hope is there for equality and safety.

These boys are a danger, regardless of age and learning need.

The judge is tying himself up in knots protecting the perpetrators.

A weapon, multiple rape, filming, sharing, planning, repeating - and no sentences. I don't understand how much worse it really needed to be to get deserving of justice and prevention of worse happening in the future.

A male bodied person should never preside in a trial of a female, more so because of the victims ages - just as young as the rapists
....which he doesn't mention!!?!!!

Give it up, when you're in a hole stop digging. You know and we all know that he can do it if he wants to, through the correct route. But he doesn't want to. Because he gives not a fck about women and girls.

Agreed

What an odd comment. I’m sure he does want the sentence to be reviewed, but we have an independent judiciary in this country and he will have to wait for the process to be followed just like everyone else.

🙄

They're part of the traveller community so no, they absolutely won't get what's coming to them.

They've probably fcked off never to be seen again, already. Until the next rapes maybe.

If they were to get married in a year or so, what is the likelihood of their young wife reporting DV or worse, given the cultural pressures.. doesn't bear thinking about