Boys aged 10 and 11 guilty of attempted rape
Boys aged 10 and 11 guilty of attempted rape of girl, 8
Two boys aged 10 and 11 were found guilty today of the attempted rape of an eight-year-old girl, but a jury at the Old Bailey found the pair not guilty on charges of rape.
The jury found the children guilty by a majority of 10 to two on two charges each, making them among the youngest defendants ever to be convicted of the crime of rape by a British court. As the verdicts were read out the younger boy sought eye-contact with his mother but both mothers stared straight ahead.
The girl claimed last October that the boys had dragged her to a block of flats and kept her in a bin shed as they repeatedly raped her near her home in Hayes, west London, but she later retracted the story during cross-examination, saying she had made it up to avoid getting into trouble.
The boys were released on conditional bail while reports are drawn up and will return to court at a later date for sentencing. None of those involved can be identified for legal reasons.
The judge, Mr Justice Saunders, thanked the jury for deliberating in what was a “traumatic” case. “These cases are not easy. Fortunately, they are infrequent,” he said.
He invited those present to send any “observations about the process” to him, adding that he will be sending his “views” to those in charge of the judicial system.
The victim’s mother reported the case to police last October after an incident in which her daughter disappeared while playing outside their home during half term.
As she searched for her, the woman was told by another child that two boys had taken her daughter away and were hurting her. The girl later told her mother they had been “doing sex with me”.
However under cross-examination the girl, who gave evidence via video link from an annexe to the court, said she had made up the story because she was afraid of getting into trouble for being “a bit naughty” after the children showed each other their genitals. She said she had thought she might not be bought sweets if she had told the truth.
She said that she had wanted to be with the boys in the bin shed because they were having fun and giggling and that she had acted of her own volition.
After the incident, the girl’s mother said she began to “panic”. She called the police and the girl was later taken to hospital with pains in the “groin area”. A doctor found cuts and bruising, but no sign of injuries to her genitals.
During cross-examination by Chetna Patel, the barrister for the younger boy, the girl’s mother denied that her child had a sweet tooth and wanted sweets, adding that she was normally “a very good girl”.
After the attack, the mother said her child was “very embarrassed and was squirming” and said she had not wanted to go with the boys. The girl’s mother challenged the two boys and said the younger had accused the older of starting the attack, while the older boy denied touching her.
During the case the child was taken on a virtual tour of her estate through a series of computer graphics. She identified the third floor stairwell, bin sheds and park where the prosecution said she was sexually attacked. She agreed that her bruising and scratches could have been caused when one of the boys helped her over a fence into the park.
She yawned occasionally and often replied that she could not remember the exact details of what had happened.
At the start of her evidence she was asked questions designed to put her at her ease. She smiled as she said that she did not like school, in part because she sat next to a “naughty boy”.
After she had finished her evidence the judge, Mr Justice Saunders, noted that she appeared exhausted and thanked her, adding: “No one is suggesting you have done anything wrong. I am the judge. I know when people have done something wrong. You have not done anything wrong. Remember that.”
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7135190.ece
It might be a game for now, BUT the scar grows darker with age. Erratic actions can become habits if not curbed.
Nothing has changed...all this has always happened. The only difference is that before kids got a good hiding , now they are taken to court and to psychiatrists.
Oh...and kids EVERYWHERE do things like that.
Whether it be "playing doctor", or daring stunts.
A bit too much.....would boys of 10 and 11years be even capable of rape. May be they took physical struggle as shown in TV being called as rape. TV shows only show physical struggle part not beyond that, isn't it?
left the kids alone once it was proved that no rape occoured why blabber to the world about it.
culture
LP can I get a female doctor :P
well, agreed, most may not be single kids. But even otherwise, unless they live in villages, i dont think they have time and facilities like old days.
I feel pity to ma kid at times, they miss a lot of stuff .Ya you are right about the school, thts where they get to play around in the early years.
Open your mouth, show your tongue, and say "Uuhh".
Oops, my mistake.
What is this Doctor game, I never played it :(
I think he said single kid family........
I think you're exaggerating when you say "most" are single parent families, most are not. Also don't forget these kids do go to school where they hang out with their buddies and recess, lunch and after school.
It has changed Olive, most are single kid families, none has time and facilities where kids play around like old days too. They gets glued to the TV ,Playstations n net...
Doctor/patient, dad n mom games happens once a bluemoon.On a weekend or monthly outing when they get to meet their buddies, or when they meet their cousins on a vacation.
Experimentation is a part of growing up.
There have been many incidents reported in the media where children have hurt themselves copying daring stunts shown in ads, particularly those which exhibit motorbikes stunts. There is always a potential risk of your child becoming aggressive if they watch too much of violence on the TV, while sleazy and vulgar scenes can make them inquisitive and confused. So, it is important to hold back kids from such exposure till the child reaches an age where he/she can differentiate between what is wrong and what is right......
I too agree with this that early sex-education to kids plays a vital role in changing their way of thinking..they attain maturity much before their actual age..Kids today are interested in trying out every odd things be it a matter of SEX which is actually very disgusting..
Certain gestures like hugging, holding hands, placing ur head on ur partern's shoulders are +ve signs that the parents share a healthy relationship. But sexual display of love between a couple often acts like sexual abuse in the child's tender mind..
Has the world changed? Haven't kids always played doctor? I think the only thing that's changed now is an 8 year old girl knows enough to call playing doctor rape.
Kids likes "Hide n Seek" over doctor/petient nowadays :P
We blame the TV and internet, world have changed. Have we as parents changed too? arent we also partly responsible?
LOl, can't remember back that far FS. It's way back in the mists of time. ;)
but definitely not getting better!
Olive..were you Doc or patient? lol
Never mind, mj.
sorry LP... :P
If children of same age are playing a 'spiderman' game and one of them pushes the 'spiderman' off the ten storey building (thinking he will fly), will you accuse the child of attempted murder?
Sounds like they were doing what most kids that age and younger do and were playing "doctor" and her mom's let her watch a bit too much TV.
from early age sex education and alot of stuff on multimedia.
That's a lie, mj. You are still talking.
i got no words for this....
It normally starts in the Kindergarden, Soniya. (In the decadent Western world, of course).
Exactly FS, even i was about to comment the same..This is what v all can expect from the advancement of western world..oh god, its unbelievable that the kids before attaining the age of puberty are interested in showing their genitals..
yea true... kids these days know much more than we knew in their age...TV/Computer...
From TV.
How will a 8 yr old girl know what is rape??
Hmmmmm....
Hmmmmm.....
Its not clear that there was a rape
cidpusa
not reliable. Seems the boys got a bad company and a lot of bad luck. I hope the little girl doesn't grow up in the company of other boys.
Always good to get an early start in your career