Teenager Sentenced for Role in Rotherham Riot

A 16-year-old girl has been sentenced for throwing rocks at police during a riot outside a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, where asylum seekers were housed. The teenager, who cannot be named, admitted to violent disorder, explaining she followed a boy she had a crush on to the scene after seeing the incident unfold on social media. Defense lawyer Helen White described her actions as an attempt to impress the boy, noting that the girl expressed regret and labeled her behavior an 'act of stupidity'. District Judge Marcus Waite imposed a 12-month intensive referral order and ordered her to pay £111 in costs, emphasizing that her age spared her from a harsher sentence, which could have included prison time. The riot resulted in injuries to over 50 police officers and numerous other disturbances, with more than 70 individuals sentenced for their involvement. The girl's mother has also disciplined her for participating in the riot, which she now regrets.