|
The court heard that the
alleged attack took place during
lunch-break |
1998: Four pupils go on trial for sex
attack |
Artificially 1969:
The Court
proceedings have begun against two 10-year-old boys who are accused of
raping a young girl in a school lavatory.
The pair along with her cousin, now aged 11, and another boy, aged 10,
are also charged with indecent assault. All four deny the charges against
their classmate.
A fifth boy, aged nine at the time of the incident was also allegedly
involved, but is too young to be prosecuted for rape under the current
law.
The judge and barristers removed their wigs, the defendants sat with
their parents in the well of the court and the clerk addressed them by
their first names to create a "relaxed atmosphere" in what is the youngest
ever rape trial in British criminal history.
The alleged victim, who was nine at the time of the incident last May,
broke down as she gave evidence via a video link at the Old Bailey.
She told the court that she was attacked at a London school during the
lunch-break.
One of the boys took her coat and she chased him into the outside
toilet.
The young girl, who came to Britain from Jamaica four years ago and
lives with her mother and eight brothers and sisters in the Shepherds Bush
area of west London, found the other boys waiting in the toilet.
She said they dragged her into a cubicle, stripped and sexually
assaulted her.
The girl struggled in vain to fight off the boys, who tied a coat over
her mouth to muffle her
screams.
She started to cry as she revealed how she had been forced to the
ground and raped by three of the boys, while the others looked on and
laughed at her.
Afterwards the girl said her attackers had threatened to beat her if
she told a teacher what had happened.
That afternoon she returned to her lessons, not having told anyone of
the incident because she was too scared.
After school, the girl returned home with her cousin, who stayed the
night at her house.
The court was told that the boy "shadowed" her as she tried to tell her
mother what had happened. The girl added: "He followed me when I was going
to tell my mum."
She eventually told her mother that some boys had told her to strip,
but did not say any more after she was criticised for not standing up to
them.
The girl asked to stay at home the next day but her mother made her go
to school, although she did write a note to the headmistress asking her to
investigate her daughter's claims.
The headmistress interviewed the boys and when one of them admitted
touching her, the police were called in.
All five boys were later arrested.