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The Youth Justice Board has said public concern over the sentencing of three boys convicted in the Fordingbridge rape case should not be dismissed, while warning that youth justice services and judges should not be unfairly criticised for applying the law.

The statement was issued after criticism of the decision not to impose custodial sentences in the case, which involved serious sexual offences against two girls. Cheryl de Freitas, Chief Operating Officer of the Youth Justice Board, said confidence in the justice system mattered, particularly in cases involving violence against women and girls. She said it was essential that public concern was taken seriously.

De Freitas said that, while most children did not commit offences of such seriousness, the response in those cases had to balance accountability, public protection, victim harm, deterrence and the long-term aim of preventing future violence. She also acknowledged the “immense bravery” of the girls who came forward.

The Youth Justice Board said it welcomed the Attorney General’s review of the case and would not comment further while awaiting the outcome. The review follows calls for the sentences to be examined under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, amid wider debate over youth sentencing, public confidence and the treatment of victims of sexual violence.

STORY

The UK and South Africa have launched a new international coalition aimed at preventing violence against women and girls and strengthening accountability for perpetrators. The coalition was announced at the Global Partnerships Conference in London, co-hosted by the UK and South Africa. It brings together eight founding countries: the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Spain, Jamaica, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Australia. The Government said the initiative would support international work to prevent abuse, improve protection systems and share best practice across borders.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said violence against women and girls was a “global emergency” as well as a national one. The Government said the coalition would build on the UK’s work with South Africa’s Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Response Fund, which supports prevention programmes, survivor services and community-based initiatives.

The coalition will also focus on violence in conflict and humanitarian settings, where women and girls face particular risks. The UK is due to convene a global summit in 2027 to review progress and seek further commitments, with members expected to develop or strengthen national action plans. The announcement also sits alongside the Government’s domestic pledge to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

STORY

Gisèle Pelicot has condemned the decision not to send three teenage boys to custody after they were convicted of raping two girls, saying she was “deeply shocked” that they had been allowed to remain free.

The French rape survivor, who became internationally known after waiving her anonymity during the trial of her former husband Dominique Pelicot and dozens of other men, spoke after the sentencing decision in Hampshire caused widespread criticism. BBC Breakfast said Pelicot had told the programme that she was shocked “that these individuals were able to gain their freedom” following the case.

The boys, who were aged 14 and 15 at the time of the offences, were given youth rehabilitation orders rather than custodial sentences. The case involved the rape of two girls in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, with reports saying the assaults included threats, filming and subsequent harassment of the victims. Former attorney general Dominic Grieve said the sentencing was “unusual” and could be reviewed by the current Attorney General.

The case has reignited debate over youth sentencing, rehabilitation and justice for victims of sexual violence. Critics have argued that the decision risks discouraging victims from reporting rape, while supporters of youth justice approaches point to the legal requirement to consider the age and welfare of young offenders. The Attorney General’s office is reviewing the case under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, which could lead to the matter being referred to the Court of Appeal.

STORY

The Green Party has announced Sarah Wakefield as its candidate for the Makerfield by-election, following the withdrawal of its previous candidate, Chris Kennedy. Wakefield is a Manchester City councillor representing Deansgate and will contest the seat in what has become a closely watched contest involving Labour’s Andy Burnham and Reform UK.

Wakefield said she was proud to represent the party and argued that voters should be given a genuine choice. She said the Greens wanted to “bring back the hope that politics can create a better life” and pointed to the party’s recent success in Gorton and Denton, where it defeated Reform, as evidence that it could challenge what she described as divisive politics.

The selection comes after Kennedy withdrew from the contest, with the party saying he had stood down for personal and family reasons. The by-election has also prompted internal debate within the Greens over how hard the party should campaign, with some senior figures concerned about the risk of splitting the anti-Reform vote, while others argue that voters should have the chance to back a Green candidate.

STORY

Senior Conservative figures have warned that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would risk damaging UK national security and weakening cooperation with European partners.

The warning came in a report by the Conservative European Forum, with figures including former justice secretaries and law officers arguing that withdrawal from the convention would complicate extradition, policing and migration cooperation. The intervention comes as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch faces pressure from Reform UK and some in her own party to adopt a harder line on the ECHR.

Supporters of withdrawal argue that it would give Parliament and the courts greater freedom over migration and asylum policy. The report’s authors instead called for reform of the convention system, warning that an abrupt departure could create legal and diplomatic consequences, including for the Good Friday Agreement and wider European security cooperation.