**Teenage Girls Avoid Jail After Series of Violent Attacks in Bridgend**
Two teenage girls from Bridgend, both aged just 14, have narrowly avoided immediate prison sentences following a spate of violent attacks against peers at school and college. The severity of their actions—which included physical assaults, blackmail, and humiliation—was laid bare during their sentencing at Cardiff Youth Court, leaving the courtroom sombre and raising questions over the current approach to youth crime.
The court heard the offences spanned several locations within Bridgend: Brynteg Comprehensive School, Bridgend College, Pyle railway station, and a leisure centre nearby. The incidents, which took place over the course of three days between 2–4 March, targeted four young victims and left them deeply traumatised. Chillingly, some of the assaults were recorded and shared online, amplifying their effects.
The girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, previously pleaded guilty to blackmail, multiple counts of actual bodily harm, and assault. Disturbing footage shown in court depicted one victim being dragged to the floor in a school corridor, repeatedly kicked in the head, punched and verbally abused, while another was forced to kneel and kiss her attackers’ feet before being physically beaten. The violence was not merely physical—victims reported ongoing harassment and threats, including demands for money under the threat that humiliating videos would be widely distributed.
In personal statements presented in court, victims and their families described life-altering consequences. Several recounted severe anxiety, sleeplessness and an inability to return to school or college, saying they remained in constant fear of further attacks. One mother spoke emotionally, expressing how her daughter was now afraid to be alone at home and had withdrawn from friends and her previous routine. Another recalled the agony of watching a video of her child being assaulted while bystanders did nothing to intervene.
The emotional turmoil extended into physical realms, with one victim taking an overdose in the wake of the attacks and requiring hospitalisation. Legal representatives emphasised the psychological scars left by these acts, describing lasting trauma that affected not just the individuals targeted, but also their families.
Despite the gravity of the offences, both defendants were spared detention. The older girl, who already had a previous conviction for actual bodily harm and was under a youth referral order at the time, was handed an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order with Intensive Supervision and Surveillance, including a strict curfew, exclusion from certain places and GPS monitoring. She was also subjected to a four-year restraining order, barring any contact—direct or digital—with her victims, and her parent was ordered to pay compensation.
Her co-accused received a Youth Referral Order and similar restraining orders, along with compensation to each victim. While both expressed remorse in court, with one openly admitting regret and the other moved to tears, the presiding magistrate was candid in stating that custody had been strongly considered due to the seriousness of the case.
Chair of the bench Jane Anning made clear the decision to impose the most severe community sentence available, warning the pair that further breaches or lack of engagement would lead to imprisonment. She emphasised that the ongoing mental suffering of the victims was a key factor in determining the sentences, but that, given their ages, the court sought to prioritise opportunities for rehabilitation.
Both sentencing decisions have reignited debate locally about youth violence and the capacity of current legal measures to both protect victims and steer young offenders away from more destructive paths. There have been strong feelings among families involved about whether justice has truly been served, with many victims still too fearful to resume their normal lives.
Community concerns remain acute, particularly regarding prevention and the aftermath of such attacks within educational settings. This case has highlighted the devastating impact that youth violence and the exploitation of social media can have—not only on those directly involved, but on the wider school and family communities.
As these young offenders now undertake their court-mandated orders, there is ongoing scrutiny over whether intervention will prove effective, or if further changes to policy and support structures for both victims and perpetrators will be required to address the underlying issues exposed by this harrowing case.