To think that there should be some consequences for Judge Nicholas Rowland

[BerryTwister]

I’ve just read that the boys who raped and filmed 2 girls have had their non custodial sentences changed to custodial ones. Judge Nicholas Rowland had originally let them off with non custodial sentences, but there was a public outcry and the Attorney General got involved. In court today it was stated that he had made a mistake, and the boys were remanded in custody.

I can’t find any information about what happens to Nicholas Rowland. Maybe nothing. But I really think there should be some consequence. Maybe some retraining, or perhaps not being allowed to try cases involving sexual violence against women and girls for a while.

In any other job, if you made such an error of judgement, you wouldn't just be allowed to carry on as you were.

I agree

He could have and should have given a custodial sentence but he chose not to

we know he didn’t have to it’s that he choose not to is the issue and questions absolutely should be raised about his understanding of the impact on victims

I also think he didn't factor in the effect a non-custodial sentence would have on other boys who might want to do similar for tik-tok fame. It is as if he thought "oh well it has happened now so two wrongs don't make a right, let's let them have another chance at least" obviously not considering that the girls have to live with the memories for life, but also that this looks like condoning the behaviour for online hits because once it is done it's done. The men responsible for Sycamore Gap got worse sentencing!

Yes. Rape convictions are so notoriously rare and sentences so disproportionately low that its hardly surprising women and girls feel they are treated with utter contempt by the legal system.

@Wipeywipey That’s because it’s not in the sentencing criteria. He didn’t weigh up the evidence and the effect on the victims. The court of appeal is clear about this. Most people are looking at the accused in the same way as adults. It’s useful to read the whole Court of Appeal judgement to see what the court was dealing with in terms of the boys. It doesn’t make great reading. They didn’t go to school. They had great difficulty with learning. They almost certainly lacked parental guidance and sex and consent education. We need to address far more than sentencing!!

Edit as I remembered the final pair sentenced for Sycamore were adults.

I think we need to be able to put these kids on the sex offender register at the very least.

Quite an important postscript from the Court of Appeal given the title of this thread:

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Approved-Follow-On-Judgment-R-v-X-Y-Z-2026-EWCA-Crim-913.pdf

Some of the comments on this thread have been depressing to read. Some written by women too I presume.
It answers the question as to why so few women and children report rape though doesn't it?

That is not what the Court of Appeal said. They said the judge had "carried out with care a difficult and complex sentencing exercise". You need to read the judgment properly.

@CaesarAugusta He did but the weighting he gave to certain aspects was considered insufficient. A judge can be very careful but opinions differ.

Well, exactly. It confirms that @LizzieSiddal is mistaken in saying he didn't follow the guidelines. The supplementary judgment published recently confirms that the Court of Appeal were seriously concerned about the way the judge was vilified directly as a result of the CPS's inaccurate press release and misleading remarks by the Attorney General, whilst they commended counsel who said the judge had acted with the utmost diligence and care.

@CaesarAugustaThis situation also shows how easy it is to manipulate public opinion and how little the Justice process is understood.

Spells it out here: