Tom Pettifor

The Court of Appeal ruled that two 15‑year‑old boys previously given youth rehabilitation orders for multiple rapes and indecent image offences received sentences that were unduly lenient, imposing four years of detention instead. Appeal judges found flaws in the original sentencing, including insufficient consideration of the harm to victims and the seriousness of the offences. Legal representatives for the boys argued the initial sentences were appropriate and focused on rehabilitation, but the court determined custody was necessary due to the gravity and scale of the crimes.