Child's life torn apart after she was sentenced for role in UK riots aged 12

The 13-year-old girl who cried as she was sentenced for rioting in the UK has spoken out as she says she's been left fearing for the future after making a 'mistake'

A 13-year-old girl, who was left in tears as she received a sentence for her involvement in a riot, has expressed her fears for the future after a swift justice process resulted in her having a lifelong criminal record.

In an exclusive chat with Express.co.uk, the young girl, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, confessed that she made a mistake and regrets getting involved with adult strangers during an attack on an asylum seeker hotel on July 31.

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The girl, who had just turned 13 a month prior to the incident, stated: "I made a mistake, but I don't deserve a criminal record."

"I am sorry and regret kicking the door. It was quite frightening at the time and there were men shouting outside and shouting inside the hotel."

"I was scared going to see the police and to court, I cried, it was horrible seeing my parents go through it with me. I'm worried about my future now and what jobs I might be able to get."

Her distraught parents only found out their child was involved in the chaos when the police issued a photo of her alongside grown men as part of an appeal into the disturbance. Concerned for their daughter's safety, the anxious parents contacted the police to have the image removed and took her to the station, reports the Express.

Believing that the scare of a police interview would serve as sufficient punishment, they claimed they left with the impression it would likely be a "slap on the wrist". "We rang up and told the police our daughter was involved, and they said we need you to come in for a voluntary interview," the step-dad revealed.

In an astonishing sequence of events, a family has been left in shock after their daughter was charged with violent disorder by the police days later. "The police were trying to settle it there and then at the station, but all of a sudden they said they would get back to us," her stepdad recounted.

This situation escalated quickly when the authorities took the controversial step of dragging the family to court the very next morning without granting them any time for preparation, a move that has been described by a children's legal charity as "extremely concerning".

With no other guidance but that of an assigned duty solicitor, the tense family felt compelled to plead guilty in the intimidating atmosphere of the courtroom. The young girl, whose identity is protected, consequently received a 12-month referral order from Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on September 30, with an additional three months due to the alleged racially aggravated nature of the incident.

Despite the judgment, the troubled teen protested to Express.co.uk: "The judge said it was racist but I'm not a racist, I don't know anything about that stuff, I have friends who are not the same race as me."

She further explained: "My best friend is of mixed heritage, my friends who I visit are Albanian immigrants, they teach me cooking, and nail art. I use the nail designs to decorate my phone case."

It came to light during the court proceedings that the girl was unintentionally brought into the fray outside the Potters International Hotel, which provides accommodation to asylum seekers, via a friend’s parent.

Police bodycam footage captured the moment a teenager banged and kicked at a hotel door, with voices in the background urging her to stop. The district judge, upon sentencing, described the incident as a "serious and very nasty offence".

The family, residing in a new building in a quaint town, are still reeling from the aftermath. "The police were literally like, this will be a slap on the wrist, the [duty] solicitor even said to us, 'I'd be surprised if you even hear anything back or it will see the day in court', so we were relieved for our daughter at that stage," the girl's mother recounted during an emotional interview.

Their calm was abruptly disrupted when they received a call from the police while enjoying a swim. The mother shared: "They rang me and told us to go home and then came round to our house at 5pm that evening and read out the charge of violent disorder."

She added, "And then more or less, 'oh by the way, you're in court in the morning at 9am'. They gave us zero time to prepare (for court)."

The stepfather expressed his astonishment at the sudden shift in the police's approach when they visited their home, alleging that the decision to press heavier charges came from higher up the chain of command.

He remarked: "The CPS changed it I think, even the police when they came round and charged her, they said this (the decision) is way above our pay grade, it was like 'this is what we are being told', and that's it."

"They told us, 'it's strange times we're living in'."

As the family grappled with the court process, they encountered the new challenge of a social services visit. Shockingly, the mum disclosed that during this probe, one report entry noted, "both voted for Reform UK".

She expressed her bewilderment: "I think it was a prejudice thing, 'oh, you voted Reform, you're a racist', I think they were surprised the home wasn't covered in Hitler posters."

"I just found that really odd, I don't know why it's relevant. My political views are not relevant to how I look after my children."

"They were definitely very surprised when they heard one of our daughter's favourite things to do is visit friends who are Albanian immigrants."

The stepfather chimed in: "They wanted to check she wasn't being radicalised."

During her sentencing last month, the mother was with her daughter—who loves art, pottery classes, swimming, and playing "Roblox"—when she broke down in tears. She reflected: "The whole thing has been surreal reading about my daughter's case in the newspapers, if I had read that story I would have thought, 'bl**dy hell, what kind of parents does she have? '."

The stepfather expressed his frustration, stating: "I don't condone what my daughter did, but the sentence is so strong, it was a six second clip played in court."

"I'm angry about it to be honest, it feels like such an injustice. Do I think she did something wrong? Of course, I do but punish it for what it was, a caution or similar."

He feels that the justice system was harsh, focusing on figures: "It feels like they just wanted the statistics, right, we've charged these people and charged these people, ok now sentence, sentence, result, result."

Highlighting the court's approach, he added: "They (the court) don't think of the consequences. We felt we had no choice but to plead guilty. I didn't have time to speak to a solicitor and sit and talk about what we could do, I only had a chance to speak to the duty solicitor."

Accusing the prosecution of selectively targeting easy cases, he said: 'They've cherry-picked the people who won't fight back. ' When questioned about his feelings towards Sir Keir Starmer and the CPS's handling of his daughter's case, the step-dad revealed he was "massively" angry, commenting: "I am massively angry at Starmer. I understand he's trying to deter people, but I think he has bullied the outcome of this."

"I personally think they have cherry-picked the people that they know won't fight the system."

Addressing the court proceedings, he showed little respect for the court that sentenced his daughter, sharing: "The judge asked her if she knew what the adults had been sentenced to and when she replied no, he seemed shocked she didn't watch the news."

Adding a retort to the judge's expectations, he noted: "And I'm thinking, 'she's thirteen years old? What thirteen-year-old girls watch the news every night? ".

After the court's decision, Hampshire Assistant Chief Constable Paul Bartolomeo commented: "While we appreciate her age, the girl's behaviour was still completely unacceptable, and her actions caused fear of violence to those inside the hotel and our officers."

The parents, however, are not convinced, with the mother stating: "So they are saying the police were scared of a 13-year-old girl? It's ridiculous."

The family expressed their dismay at the lack of support offered, noting that their daughter had been asked to "write a letter of apology" to the immigrants at the hotel. Reflecting on their own childhoods, both parents shared anecdotes of youthful indiscretions that resulted in far less severe consequences.

The mother reminisced: "When I was 13, I was a bit naughty, but she's a good kid, she does pottery, she does art classes, she has friends' round."

In agreement, the young girl highlighted her mother's past misadventure, saying, "Mum stole a lamb" at the same age. With a smile, the mother recounted how she and a friend took the animal from a local farmer with the intention of keeping it in a garage, only for the farmer to later recover it unharmed.

She concluded by reflecting on the nature of childhood mistakes: "All kids do something wrong and make mistakes, but I don't think for something like this she deserves to be paying for it for the next ten years."

The step-dad expressed both parents' continued hope for their child's future despite the devastating impact of the unexpected sentencing. He remarked: "Our hope is eventually, sentences like those given to our daughter will be overturned, but it's an expensive process and I feel like they've targeted us because they feel we won't complain."

The girl's conviction has raised eyebrows, especially considering the Home Office's stance that violent disorder is a specified offence, with any conviction disclosed on a Standard or Enhanced DBS criminal record check.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who previously led the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), has been vocal about his approach to the summer riots, which were marred by looting, arson, racist assaults, property damage, and attacks on police officers. Amidst the chaos, the PM declared: "we will do whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice as quickly as possible", emphasising the ability to expedite arrests, charges, remand in custody, and convictions.

A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service stated: "We prosecuted cases swiftly during the riots to restore law and order to our streets."

They added: "Our lawyers look carefully at the circumstances of children who are referred to us to make sure it is in the public interest to bring charges."

However, Aika Stephenson, Legal Director, Founder and Co-Lead of the charity Just for Kids Law, voiced concern, saying: "This case sounds extremely concerning, particularly given the young age of the child involved."

"It underlines how imperative it is for all children in contact with the criminal legal system to be able to access specialist legal advice and representation from those who have expertise in children's rights and youth justice."

A statement from Hampshire Police read: "The CPS made the 'charging decision' and our officers informed the family of the charges". It added: "During her voluntary interview and, in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the teenager was supported by an appropriate adult and had a solicitor present."

"As part of our enquiries, we issued pictures of eight people we wanted to speak with in connection with reports of disorder outside the hotel. We did not know the details – including the ages – of each of the people we were looking to speak to."

"Once it was confirmed the girl had been identified, the communications team immediately removed her image from all our channels and updated media outlets to confirm that this individual had now been identified and as part of our policy, requested that her image was removed from all publications."

"We followed this up by directly contacting any outlets who were still circulating the image and ensured it was removed."

Lastly: "As the court heard, the teenager, who pleaded guilty, was part of a larger group that was involved in violent disorder during the protest."

"Everyone has the right to free speech and peaceful protest. However, officers will take action against those who choose to act outside of the law and use it as an excuse to demonstrate violence and disorder."

"If you commit a crime, as the public would rightly expect, you will face the consequences of your actions, regardless of your age."