A 14-year-old boy followed a girl into a shop and repeatedly st*bbed her because she refused to date him. When he appeared before a judge, the court heard about his potential, his intelligence, and the importance of protecting his future. The judge called him a “bright lad.” But there was another 14-year-old in this case. A girl whose future had already been profoundly changed by what he did to her. In March 2026, the girl was attacked in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, after rejecting the advances of a boy from her school. He had become obsessed with her. After she turned him down, he created fake social media accounts to continue contacting her. On the morning of the attack, he approached her again and asked her out. She refused. He followed her into a shop carrying a six-inch kitchen knife. What happened next was captured on CCTV. He chased her through the shop and stabbed her repeatedly, inflicting wounds to her neck, hands and face. A shopkeeper who tried to intervene was also injured. Police said the girl was extremely fortunate to survive. A slightly different wound could have killed her. The boy admitted serious offences, including wounding with intent and carrying a knife. He spent approximately three months in a secure youth facility before being released on bail. At sentencing in September, Judge Ian Lawrie said custody was the last place he should be. He wanted to construct a sentence that would provide support and rehabilitation. The boy received a 12-month referral order and a three-year restraining order. Then came the girl’s victim statement. She described flinching whenever someone raised a hand near her. She spoke of nightmares, fear, and the loss of the independence she once enjoyed. She was now being driven to work because she was frightened to go outside alone. She was also 14. Youth justice should recognize that children can change. Rehabilitation is important, and a child’s age must matter. But the girl is a child too. Her mother said the family felt failed by the justice system. Parents whose daughters had been killed by former partners also condemned the sentence. A judge saw a boy with a future worth protecting. The girl he attacked is still trying to recover the ordinary freedoms she had before he picked up that knife.