Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “appalled” by a case in which two teenage boys were spared jail after being convicted of raping teenage girls, adding that it was “right” that the sentences were being urgently reviewed.
The case has sparked widespread outrage after a judge handed the defendants non-custodial sentences, citing their age and potential for rehabilitation. Victims’ rights groups and campaigners have called the decision a betrayal of the survivors.
The Attorney General’s office confirmed it is examining whether the sentences were unduly lenient under the scheme that allows members of the public to ask for certain Crown Court sentences to be reviewed.
Starmer’s intervention reflects the growing political pressure on the justice system to ensure that sexual offences, particularly those involving minors, are met with appropriate consequences that reflect the severity of the crimes.
Source: BBC News
