Nicholas Rowland

Two UK teenagers convicted of rape were initially sentenced to youth rehabilitation orders but an appeal judge ruled they must serve time in custody after public backlash. The initial sentence by Nicholas Rowland aimed to avoid criminalizing the teens, prompting intervention by Attorney General Richard Hermer.

Two UK teenagers convicted of rape received four-year youth detention sentences after public backlash against initially lenient noncustodial orders. The appeals court ruled the original sentences unduly lenient, prompting a change to custodial terms, which the victims' families and a French rape survivor welcomed as a step toward justice.