Three teenage boys have avoided prison after being convicted over two separate sexual assault cases involving underage girls in Fordingbridge.
The shocking cases were heard at Southampton Crown Court, where the court was told both victims endured traumatic ordeals after being heavily outnumbered by the boys involved.
Two boys, now aged 15, were convicted over an incident involving a 15-year-old girl in November 2024, while a third defendant, now aged 14, was also found guilty over a separate attack involving a 14-year-old girl earlier that year.
According to prosecutors, the first victim met one of the boys after the pair began speaking on Snapchat and believed they were in a relationship.
The court heard she later agreed to meet him in a park before the situation escalated inside an underpass after additional boys arrived at the scene.
Prosecutors said the girl became frightened and overwhelmed as the boys allegedly pressured her while recording parts of the incident.
During the trial, the victim described herself as feeling “petrified” throughout the ordeal and said she only agreed to acts because she feared what could happen if she refused.
The court also heard the second victim, aged 14 at the time, was allegedly threatened before being taken to a nearby recreation field where the assaults happened.
Although no knife was recovered, forensic examinations reportedly found damage on the victim’s clothing consistent with a sharp object.
Video evidence presented during the proceedings allegedly showed the victim visibly distressed and motionless during parts of the incident.
Despite the severity of the offences, the teenagers did not receive custodial sentences.
Judge Nicholas Rowland told the court the boys were “very young”, had limited understanding of consent and were vulnerable to peer pressure.
The two older defendants were sentenced to three-year Youth Rehabilitation Orders involving intensive supervision and monitoring, while the youngest defendant received 18 months of probation supervision.
All three boys were also handed restraining orders banning contact with the victims for 10 years.
One of the defendants was convicted of one rape charge, while another was found guilty of multiple rape offences connected to both incidents.
The youngest defendant was convicted of encouraging offences during the second attack.
Additional convictions involving indecent images of children were also handed down against two of the boys.
In emotional victim impact statements, one of the girls told the court she struggled badly with her mental health after the incident, while the second victim described feeling emotionally numb and detached from people around her.
Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Lucy Paddick described the case as deeply disturbing and praised the victims for their bravery throughout the investigation and trial.
She stressed that the victims could not have consented under such terrifying circumstances and said authorities would continue pursuing justice regardless of the offenders’ ages.
