Rape victim feels like she is ‘being punished’ after judge allows teenagers to walk free

A girl raped by three teenage boys has said she feels as if she is the one being punished after a judge allowed the trio to walk free.Lord Hermer, the Attorney General has since urgently referred the case to the Court of Appeal to determine if the boy's sentences should be increased.The victim was just 14 years old when she was raped in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in January 2025.Speaking anonymously, the victim, now 15, said she now felt scared to leave her own home. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say She told The Times: It just felt like I was being punished for something that wasn't my fault because it just means I can't go out.I just wanted to be able to go out without the fear of seeing them or being around them.The girl is currently sitting her GCSEs, but has struggled with a lot of things since the vicious attack and suffers from regular flashbacks.The victim said she is now quite far behind in school and added she was probably going to have to retake a few of GCSEs due to missing school.She said: I might be starting college a year later, depending on what I get for my grades.But I do want a future. It’s just hard to see where I can end up. I’m still worried [about the boys].The three boys, two aged 15 and one aged 14, were given youth rehabilitation orders, with the older pair subject to intensive supervision and surveillance, a decision criticised as far too lenient.Southampton Crown Court heard how the girl was brought to a secluded field near Fordingbridge reaction ground by knifepoint and forced to leave her mobile phone and AirTag in a shop so her movements could not be tracked.LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:Teen boys spared jail for rape have sentences appealed amid national furyThree teenagers dodge jail after being sentenced for part in rape of two girlsKeir Starmer calls teenagers who raped two girls spared jail 'appalling' as sentences undergo urgent reviewOne of the defendants then pushed her down and cut her clothing before raping her, the court heard.The rape was filmed by the boys, who then shared some of the footage online.Video of the attack showed the girl lying motionless on the ground with her face buried in her hands.After she reported the rape, police discovered a second victim aged 15 had been raped two months before by the two older defendants.Her father said the justice system had completely let us down.He also criticised proposed reforms to the youth justice system set out by David Lammy, including a pledge to cut the number of children in custody by a fifth over the next three years.He said: There is a time and a place for rehabilitation. I’m not against that at all.But when you have crimes of this nature that aren’t - it’s not a single event - the line has to be drawn whether they’re children or teenagers.The victim's parents now hope their daughter's rapists are given custodial sentences.“If they are given a custodial sentence, obviously it’s not going to be a life sentence. But I want to see the justice system do something that will impact them for life because this impacts her for life, the girl's father said.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter