Family of victim issues statement after teen rapists handed four years detention: ‘Justice has finally been done’

The family of one of the victims of two teenage rapists has issued a statement after the pair had their “unduly lenient” sentences overturned.

Dr Charlotte Proudman, the barrister for one of the girls referred to in court as C1, read the words outside the Courts of Justice on their behalf.

Two 15-year-old boys, referred to in court as X and Y, now face four years' detention for the rape of two girls in Fordingbridge in Hampshire.

They had initially been spared jail, which the Court of Appeals judged to be “unduly lenient”.

“We welcome the judgment of the Court of Appeal and the fact that justice has finally been done for more than 18 months,” Dr Proudman read.

“Our family and those closest to us have lived through a nightmare, a nightmare that no family should ever have to endure… the emotional toll has been immeasurable.”

The barrister said the case could provide the impetus to make changes in the justice system.

“One case cannot change a system... but the opportunity this case makes to put victims at the centre of the system cannot be wasted. C1 is a hero,” she said.

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