Two boys convicted of raping two teenage girls in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, have been given four years' detention after their non-custodial sentences were overturned at the Court of Appeal. The decision came after the initial sentences were referred to the court by Attorney General Lord Hermer, who deemed them unduly lenient.

Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr stated that the court had no other choice but to change the sentences, having concluded that the trial judge, Judge Nicholas Rowland, had erred in his assessment of the seriousness of the offenses. The offenders, referred to as X and Y, joined the hearing via video link from Southampton Crown Court.

The mother of one of the victims, identified as Jazmine, expressed a mixed reaction to the new sentences. While acknowledging it was an improvement, she stated that no sentence could truly compensate for the lifetime of trauma her daughter would endure. She conveyed that while "it's better, but it's not enough," she had to be grateful for the increased sentence compared to the initial one.

A third boy, convicted of rape for filming one of the attacks, did not have his sentence changed. The court decided that his sentence would remain the same, citing his "very young age" as a factor. All individuals involved in the case have been granted anonymity due to their young age.

Delivering the court's conclusions, Baroness Carr told offenders X and Y that sentences of detention were unavoidable, highlighting that they "raped two girls on two different occasions. You were enjoying it and egging each other on. You made it worse by filming it." She clarified that had the boys been adults, sentences exceeding 10 years would have been required.

The court noted that the pair had already served 231 days on curfew, which would count towards their sentence, meaning they would not serve the full four years in detention. Additionally, they were issued lifelong restraining orders prohibiting contact with the victims. It is understood that the offenders intend to appeal the Court of Appeal's revised sentencing.

In a statement read by barrister Charlotte Proudman, the family of victim C1 (Jazmine) described their experience as a "nightmare." They stated that while the judgment could not erase their daughter's suffering, it did acknowledge the seriousness of the offenses. Jazmine herself expressed feeling "like I am the one who has been sentenced" and living in a "prison" due to the severe harm she suffered.

The underpass near the River Avon in Fordingbridge was the location where one of the girls was raped. The case underscores the complexities of sentencing for juvenile offenders and the legal processes involved when initial sentences are challenged for being too lenient.