Decision to allow 3 boys convicted of rape to walk free sparks fury and debate in U.K.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the case would go to the Court of Appeal to be reviewed — but advocates say the initial sentences speak to a wider failing.

LONDON — A judge’s decision to spare three teenage boys found guilty of rape at knifepoint and other serious sexual offenses from a custodial sentence has sparked outrage across the U.K.

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Judge Nicholas Rowland’s decision to issue youth rehabilitation orders, or child community sentences, to the trio was widely criticized in Britain’s press. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the outcome “distressing.”

Several campaigns calling for the judge’s removal have also been launched on social media, including one petition that was signed by more than 200,000 people.