A court ruling by Reino Unido sparked widespread criticism after ordering 3 teenagers convicted of rape to undergo rehabilitation in their communities instead of facing prison sentences. Procurador-General referred the case to the appeals court, determining that the sentence would be reviewed.

Reação from the British government to the decision

British Prime Minister Starmer described the decision as “heartbreaking” and “shocking”. Ele stated that, as a politician and as a father, the sentence shocked him deeply. Commenting on the case’s referral for retrial, Starmer stated that it was “clearly the correct conclusion.”

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The repercussions of the decision extended beyond the government. Giselle Péricot, a French rape victim, expressed horror at the outcome of the trial to the BBC, saying she was “shocked that these men have been released again, while the victim suffers deep pain that will never heal.”

Detalhes of crimes in Fordingbridge

The 2 attacks occurred in Fordingbridge, a small town in the south of Inglaterra. A victim, aged 15 at the time, was raped by 2 boys near a river after arranging a meeting with one of them. Prosecutors revealed that a video of the crime, 1 and a half hours long, had been released on social media.

The second victim, aged 14, was threatened with a knife and forced to leave his cell phone and an anti-loss tag in a store. Ela was taken to an isolated field and raped by the 2 defendants. The crime was also recorded on video and publicized. Ambos cases shocked the country and resulted in numerous appeals through a system that allows anyone to request a review of sentences considered “unfairly lenient”.

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Sentenças imposed and charges

The courts sentenced 2 boys, aged 14 and 15 at the time of the crime, to 3 years of a “youth rehabilitation order”, accompanied by 180 days of “intensive supervision and monitoring”. A third boy, who was 13 at the time of the attack, received a 1½-year “youth rehabilitation order” for complicity in the second attack.

The convictions include additional charges:

• 2 boys were found guilty of taking obscene photos of children
• Todos the 3 were convicted of rape crimes
• The victims received protection orders and psychological support

Fundamentação of the original sentence

In handing down the initial sentence, the judge stated: “I want to avoid treating these children as criminals unnecessarily.” The decision to opt for community rehabilitation instead of prison was based on the age of the attackers and the possibility of social reintegration. Contudo, the statement sparked immediate controversy among victims, their families and women’s rights organizations.

The Procurador-General, responsible for matters of public interest in criminal cases, considered the sentence inappropriate to the seriousness of the crimes and referred the case for review at the appeals court. The review process will assess whether the initial decision was “unfairly lenient” as UK law provides for appeals in these circumstances.