The family of one of the two girls raped by teenage boys in Fordingbridge has said that the increase in the attackers’ sentences “does not change the fear” that she feels.
Jazmine – not her real name – was attacked by two boys who were then aged 14 in the Hampshire town in November 2024.
The boys – known as X and Y – were spared custody by a judge at Southampton Crown Court in May, but were sentenced to four years’ detention on Thursday after the Court of Appeal ruled their non-custodial sentences were “unduly lenient”.
Jazmine’s parents said that she was feeling “terribly overwhelmed and retraumatised by everything”, and “hasn’t processed it yet”.
They said: “She knows they’ve gone to prison. It doesn’t make her currently feel any more free around her local area.
“It doesn’t change the fear at the moment. That needs to sink in, and she needs to process that.”
They also said that they had not yet been told how long X and Y would spend in custody before being released, after time spent on a curfew was taken into account.
After raping Jazmine, X and Y went on to rape a second victim in January 2025, encouraged by a third boy, known as Z.
Z, who was 13 at the time and is now 14, was also spared custody in May, with Judge Nicholas Rowland stating that he should “avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily” and that detention was a “last resort”.
The Attorney General referred the case to the Court of Appeal days later, with three senior judges finding on Thursday that Judge Rowland “erred in his assessment of the seriousness of the offences” and that the sentences for X and Y were “unduly lenient”.
The Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Lord Justice Edis and Ms Justice Norton, said in their ruling that the offences committed by X and Y “were so serious that, even for very young offenders such as these, a substantial sentence of detention was inevitable”.
The senior judge added that the two girls’ rapes are “very likely to have long-term and profound consequences, not all of which are immediately apparent”.
Z’s sentence – an 18-month youth rehabilitation order – remained unchanged after the Court of Appeal declined to increase it, finding that it was “appropriate and not unduly lenient”.
The boys are pursuing appeals against their convictions, Baroness Carr also said, adding that any appeal “will be decided separately”.
Speaking following the ruling, Jazmine’s parents said that “the sentence will never be enough”, and that the Court of Appeal should not have been needed to get “correct justice”, which they said “should be done correctly, first time, every time”.
They said: “You’ve raped my daughter. Whatever amount of time you spend in detention won’t be enough to stop the pain and suffering that you’ve caused.”
They also questioned why the sentences for each rape were not consecutive, adding: “Two separate crimes on separate days, separate incidents, months apart. There is no reason why they couldn’t have been run consecutively.”
In a victim personal statement provided to the Court of Appeal, Jazmine said the sentencing hearing in May left her feeling “invisible and unimportant” and that she felt “disappointed, let down and confused” by the criminal justice system.
She said: “I feel like a little child again in some ways, but also like I have had to deal with things that are far too adult and far too horrible.
“I feel stuck between being a child who needs help and being expected to carry on like a young adult. It is confusing and exhausting. I feel like I do not belong.
“I do not belong at school because I feel different from everyone else. I do not belong outside because I feel unsafe.
“I do not belong in my own body because it makes me feel sick. I do not belong in my old life because that person feels gone.
“I do not know where I am supposed to fit anymore.”
The family said their goal for the future is “survival” and to “rebuild”, while continuing to develop their Stronger than Silence foundation to support other survivors of sexual violence to “give them a place to know that they don’t have to be silent, they don’t have to feel ashamed”.
They continued: “I cannot think of anything more important, because if we stay silent, nothing’s going to change. We can’t live in a world where sexual assault and sexual violence are brushed over like it is not something serious.
“For the sake of all girls and women who’ve ever experienced sexual violence in any form, we have to have a voice; we have to talk about it.”
They added: “We don’t only want to help with grants for respite care, therapy, education, and so forth. We want to help with campaigning, lobbying and making sure we fight for change.”
They also said: “Now is our time to stand up, not only for Jazmine, but for other survivors, past and future.
“We understand we’re not going to live in a world where there is no sexual violence. We just need to live in a world where there is support and guidance and understanding for those survivors.”
Jazmine’s parents also said they had no animosity towards the boys, but urged them to “use your time wisely” while serving their sentences.
They said: “Take your opportunity in detention to begin to truly rehabilitate, because everybody should be afforded the opportunity to rehabilitate, but rehabilitation alone in this case was not the answer.”
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
