The Court of Appeal is expected to issue a ruling on Thursday regarding whether the non-custodial sentences handed to three boys convicted of multiple counts of rape and related offences were unduly lenient. The three youths, two aged 15 and one aged 14, were sentenced in May in connection with attacks on two separate victims in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, which took place in November 2024 and January 2025.

The two 15-year-olds, identified as X and Y, were directly involved in both assaults, while the 14-year-old, Z, was found to have encouraged the rape of the second victim. Collectively, the boys were convicted on 10 counts of rape alongside seven charges related to indecent images.

Following the initial sentencing, the Attorney General referred the case to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that the sentences imposed were inappropriately lenient. During a hearing in London, prosecutors argued that detention was the only suitable penalty given the severity and nature of the offences.

In contrast, legal representatives for the boys contended that the sentences were fitting. Y’s defence counsel maintained that the sentencing judge, Judge Nicholas Rowland, had carefully applied the correct legal framework when delivering his judgment, suggesting that the decision was justifiable under the law.

The appeal hearing was presided over by Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting alongside Lord Justice Edis and Ms Justice Norton. They indicated that a decision on whether to increase the sentences would be announced at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

The case has drawn significant public attention due to the young ages of those convicted and the serious nature of the crimes, raising questions about appropriate sentencing for juvenile offenders in sexual offence cases.