Nucleon knockout experiments using beryllium or carbon targets reveal a strong dependence of the quenching factors, i.e., the ratio ($$\hbox {R}_{\textrm{s}}$$
R
s
) of theoretical to the experimental spectroscopic factors ($$\hbox {C}^2{\textrm{S}}$$
C
2
S
), on the proton-neutron asymmetry in the nucleus under study. However, this dependence is greatly reduced when a hydrogen target is used. To understand this phenomenon, exclusive $$^{1}\text {H}(^{17}\text {Ne},$$
1
H
(
17
Ne
,
$$2\hbox {p}~^{16}\text {F})$$
2
p
16
F
)
and inclusive $$^{12}\text {C}(^{17}\text {Ne},2\hbox {p}~^{16}\text {F})\hbox {X}$$
12
C
(
17
Ne
,
2
p
16
F
)
X
, $$^{12}\text {C}(^{17}\text {Ne},$$
12
C
(
17
Ne
,
$$^{16}\text {F})\hbox {X}$$
16
F
)
X
as well as $$^{1}\text {H}(^{17}\text {Ne},^{16}\text {F})\hbox {X}$$
1
H
(
17
Ne
,
16
F
)
X
(X-denotes undetected reaction products) reactions with $$^{16}\text {F}$$
16
F
in the ground and excited states were analysed. The longitudinal momentum distribution of $$^{16}{\textrm{F}}$$
16
F
and the correlations between the detached protons were studied. In the case of the carbon target, there is a significant deviation from the predictions of the eikonal model. The eikonal approximation was used to extract spectroscopic factor values $$\hbox {C}^2{\textrm{S}}$$
C
2
S
. The experimental $$\hbox {C}^2\hbox {S}$$
C
2
S
value obtained with C target is markedly lower than that for H target. This is interpreted as rescattering due to simultaneous nucleon knockout from both reaction partners, $$^{17}\text {Ne}$$
17
Ne
and $$^{12}\text {C}$$
12
C
.