Content warning - Teenage boys escape prison for rape

[ArabellaScott]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clypg68e2neo

These poor girls. An absolutely sickening article.

'Two 15-year-old boys and a boy, 14, were previously convicted of rape following a trial at Southampton Crown Court.
The 15-year-olds were given three-year Youth Rehabilitation Orders with intensive surveillance and supervision. The younger boy's probation supervision will be for one and half years.
Two of the boys' mothers burst into tears as Judge Nicholas Rowland told the attackers "none of you need to go to prison today".
The judge praised the bravery of the two girls for giving evidence.'

How is surveillance/supervision going to make the slightest bit of difference? These boys should have gone to prison or a YOI.

Judge praises girls for their bravery while failing to dish out any consequences whatsoever.

How can we complete this is the names are not published? It's one of the questions on the online form.

I will be submitting this form when I know what to put.

Domestic abusers and much more in the future.vawag is a big issue across society and is also very prevent in traveller community.
It should have been secure unit then onto Y.O. when of age

I wrote along the lines of: names not known as under 18-3 teenage boys who were found guilty of rape of 2 girls in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.

Next time some twunt comes on here claiming that rapists always get custodial sentences (cos they do, often), these appalling males will form just another layer of stats proving they don't.
Still, mustn't ruin young boys lives, must we?

You can just use the pseudonyms used in court (boy A etc) and reference that the sentence was handed down today in Southampton and they are minors so not named

So many aggravating factors here

• gang rape
• they filmed it
• laughing at their victims
• multiple rapes (11 between the 3 of them)

What on earth do they have to do to actually get locked up?

"He [the judge] then emphasised their "very young" ages and said: "None of you need to go to prison today.""

Words fail me.

This has just been covered on the main news on R4, it was quite a lengthy piece!
The Police Commissioner of Hampshire has said she’s concerned about the sentences.

So pleased this disgraceful situation is getting immediate coverage.

Thank you, I have just done the same. More angry than I can say.

I've complained too.

Yeah. Trade-offs is one way of putting it. State complicity in destroying the lives of young girls is another.

This is just horrific. Those poor poor girls.

Like dead kids.

The kid that died near me shouldn't have done. The killers should have been in borstal already.

Irrespective of IQ levels, ADHD diagnosis, and community they were brought up in; rape is rape. They were all convicted of that crime (plus others I.e. having pictures of a minor) so therefore they must receive a punishment that fits the crime.

In this case, those criminals haven't received an appropriate punishment. I'm not sure what the result should have been but the judge has let women and the judicial service down here. The local PCC has also said the sentences are too lenient.

How is this a deterrent to these criminals and to other men? How does this show that crimes against women are treated seriously? Yet another misogynistic judge who praised the criminals in his summing up...he may as well have said 'there there lads, the girls clearly led you on so no harm done eh?'

I'm incandescent about this and am so pleased there are now 3 threads on MN highlighting the case. I completed the online form about lenient sentencing yesterday and noted it said only 1 application need be made but yeah, sod off....someone in government needs to be fully aware of how pissed off women are so hopefully they'll get a few hundred forms to deal with and hopefully this might be the straw that broke the camels back? We can but hope.

My heart goes out to the girls who suffered and will continue to suffer for these crimes.

I have completed the form. For names I put something like Boys at Fordingbridge, Hampshire.

I bet the Judge was afraid of the travellers parents reaction so was lenient. Possibly the prodigy of organised crime. There are good travellers I know but also some dark forces.

Thanks for the articles.

I'm so angry about this. It's always about the boys and their future. What about the girls?

What about the message this sends to other boys: that raping girls and filming it is a minor matter.

And to girls: you are fair game for boys; we're far more concerned about their mental health and their futures than yours. Don't forget who's important here. (It's not you.)

There should be a minimum, non negotiable sentence for rape that applies regardless of the age/circumstances of the rapist. And it should be high. The govt should bring this in to signal violence towards women and girls is not acceptable.

This is an absolute disgrace. These boys are serial rapists, who have carried out multiple gang rapes, involving weapons, then filming them. After murder, this is the most serious crime, these boys should be put away for a very long time, because I don't believe that their attitudes or behaviour towards girls and women will change.

I wonder if you have the same one as me...

The added insult, to the girls of a three month curfew, really shows the judges contempt for the victims. If he wanted to keep them out of the prison system (although for such a serious crime I'm not sure why, none of the juvenile offender research was ever done with offenders of such seriousness) he could have used electronic tags and ensured that they attended school and home only, for three years, the absolute insult of this "sentence " beggars belief. If they had been sent to secure units, they would at least have had some therapeutic input about the effects of their offending, while ensuring that they could not rape again for the duration of their incarceration.

I don't know what the sentencing guidelines are for this, but off the top of my head I'd say if they were adults I'd like them to get at least 17 years each. As they are youngish teenagers I'd be happy with half that, say 9 years.

Rape sentencing in this country is a joke. Even when the rapists are convicted (rare) the sentence is laughable. It's not a punishment, it's not a deterrent, and it's horrendous both for the victims and the rest of the women and girls who have to walk the streets.

Every time I read the news there are more rapes. In war zones, or what we think of as uncivilized countries, men rape with impunity, and sometimes I wonder how far away we are from this.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ywgn2n3nqo

An article in today's Times emphasises that in court evidence was that they were all three of under normal intelligence. This is not mentioned in the BBC article. I do wonder if that evidence was manufactured or enhanced in order to get a lenient sentence. Misogynistic behaviour has to be challenged. No doubt these boys were encouraged by porn they had watched. No real consequences for them, and no deterrence for other little bastards. Thiose poor girls! They were so brave, but for what? Won't that discourage other victims from reporting such crimes.

i’m going to tread very carefully saying this, as I’m exceptionally angry.
but I think it doesn’t take much to see the judge for exactly what they are.
misogyny has always been rife in our ‘justice’ system (although what justice?, justice has not been served) I suspect it’s due to huge egos playing God.

I also think these lenient sentences increase vigilante behaviour, and that’s not good either, but totally understandable.

Yy to vigilantism. I feel rage on behalf of the girls, but imagine if you were a relative? There would be a strong temptation to beat the shit out of the little fuckers.

Jess Phillips now commenting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy2x7wxjego