UK Court Gives Youth Rehabilitation Orders to Three Teenagers Convicted of Rape

A court in the United Kingdom sentenced three teenagers convicted of raping two schoolgirls to youth rehabilitation orders rather than prison time. Two 14-year-old boys targeted a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat before raping her at an underpass, according to a Crown Prosecution Service press release.

Two months later, the same two boys joined by a 13-year-old gang-raped another schoolgirl at knifepoint. Prosecutors said the boys brazenly filmed themselves and laughed during the attacks, the BBC reported. The teenagers, who are reportedly part of the traveller community in the UK, were all convicted of rape in March.

The two older boys were also found guilty of taking indecent images of a child. Judge Nicholas Rowland sentenced all three to youth rehabilitation orders, stating none of them needed to go to prison.

The two older boys, now 15, received three-year Youth Rehabilitation Orders along with 180 days of intensive surveillance and supervision, the Daily Mail reported. The third boy, now 14, received an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order. All three are subject to a three-month curfew and 10-year restraining orders barring contact with the victims.

Judge Nicholas Rowland said he wanted to avoid criminalizing the children unnecessarily and support their reintegration into society. He added that peer pressure played a large part in the offenses. Hampshire and Isle of White Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said the sentences were too lenient and offered little comfort to the victims.

She stated she was deeply concerned the boys felt they could carry out such acts and share them online without going to prison.