'These boys are criminals!' Tory frontbencher outraged at teens spared jail over rape amid sentence review

The initial trial at Southampton Crown Court heard two girls were raped in two separate incidents in Fordingbridge. The first attack took place on November 26, 2024, and the second on January 17, 2025.

The three boys, two aged 15 and one aged 14, were given youth rehabilitation orders, with the older pair also made subject to intensive supervision and surveillance.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed the Court of Appeal will now review the sentences of three teenage boys who were spared jail over the rape of two girls in Hampshire, following a huge public and political backlash.

Questioned by host Martin Daubney on how the three teens could "ever escape a custodial sentence in the first place", Ms Kearns was similarly in disbelief.

She told GB News: "Well, they never should have, and that's exactly the point. Under British law, the maximum sentence for rape is life imprisonment.

"And actually, our sentencing guidelines say that if it's premeditated, if it's serial rape, which these boys are serial rapists, they raped more than once, if you bring a weapon, they should all be aggravated, which means that your sentence should be worse.

"And yet the judge has had the audacity to say that he didn't want to criminalise these boys. These boys are criminals, and if we want to deter more rapists in our country, they need to go to prison."

Questioned on whether the justice system is "broken full stop", the Tory MP explained there are "two sides" to the case.

She said: "I think the judge's decision-making and his integrity is definitely up for question. His decision-making is absolutely morally repugnant when it comes to this case. He chose the boys' futures over the girls' futures. Those girls deserve justice.

"We have the right laws in place, although I do have a few changes I want to make and things I'm looking at, particularly an incitement of rape. But ultimately we do have a problem in this country where there is an epidemic of misogyny, there is an epidemic of sexual violence, and we need to tackle it."

Ms Kearns made clear: "But we don't tackle it if we say to boys who lure girls and gang rape them and then film it, glorify it and publish it on the internet, you get to walk away scot-free."

The Tory frontbencher called on the Labour Government to be more "consistent" with implementing criminal justice, not just "when there's public outcry".

She told GB News: "This Government wants to give votes at 16, this Government says that there shouldn't be criminal responsibility unless you're over 14, and this government says under 25s should be treated as children. What absolute nonsense.

"I mean, I am horrified – we know these failed custodial sentences of these teenage boys are bad – it is only going to get worse if David Lammy goes forward with his proposed reforms to justice.

"We need the Government to be consistent, not just when survivors are willing to go on TV and open their hearts about how horrendous it's been, not just when there's public outcry, when there's issues like the one I raised."

Confirming the review of the sentence, Sir Keir told reporters today: "I find it distressing as a politician, I find it distressing as a father, and there are questions about the sentence.

"The Attorney General has power to refer a case to the Court of Appeal. If the Attorney General thinks that the sentence is too lenient, the Attorney General has now exercised that power.

"So I can announce that that case now will go to the Court of Appeal, and the Court of Appeal will now review the sentence in that case, and that is clearly the right outcome."

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