Two of the three teenage boys convicted of raping a 14-year-old and 15-year-old girl in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, have had their sentence increased to a four-year custodial Detention and Training Order, following a review by the Court of Appeal.
The review took place in response to widespread public backlash over the perceived leniency of the initial sentence given by Southampton Crown Court, which led to a referral by the Attorney General under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Last month, solicitor and managing director Marcus Johnstone discussed the case with Petrie Hosken of TalkTV, in which he described the boys’ initial sentence as ‘extremely lenient but increasingly typical.’
Speaking on BBC Radio 5, he added that the public will ‘undoubtedly be shocked’ that such severe convictions would not lead to a custodial sentence, but explained that the defendants’ diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety and other disorders were likely viewed by the court as a mitigation in sentencing.
The interviews, which also focused on challenges in the youth justice system and observable increases in the number of children accused of serious sexual crimes, built on an opinion piece written by Marcus and published online for LBC.
You can watch Marcus’ full interview with TalkTV and BBC Radio 5, and read his article for LBC, by visiting our press and media portal.
Has your child been accused of a sexual offence?
PCD Solicitors specialise in defending children and young people accused of sexual offences, including rape, sexual assault, and indecent images offences. Our team of solicitors and sexual offence specialists have advised the parents and families of many children under investigation for a sexual crime, and are experts in defending, managing and mitigating these serious and complex cases.
When a child is accused of a sexual offence, the police must follow strict procedures and policies that are different to investigations involving adults. The vast majority of cases involving children are managed through the youth criminal justice system, which can be very challenging for a general criminal defence firm to navigate.
At PCD Solicitors, our staff include youth justice experts, who are specially trained and experienced in handling serious youth justice cases. When instructed on a case involving a child, our priority is safeguarding their rights and interests and protecting them from unfair or disproportionate treatment, including by the courts. Where possible, we will always aggressively seek an outcome that shields them from a custodial sentence, and prevents them from being burdened with a sexual offence conviction.
