Three boys, now aged 14,15 and 16, are alleged to have recorded themselves raping a then 13-year-old girl at a footpath before fleeing from the scene on foot, a court heard
A teen deemed unfit to stand trial over 13-year-old girl’s rape shadowboxed with his mum when he returned home after alleged sex attack and asked to sleep over at a friend’s, with his mum claiming she noticed “nothing unusual”.
The teenager, now 16, is alleged to have raped the girl just off a footpath in Rochdale with two other boys when they were aged 12, 13, and 14. A trial previously heard the boys “took it in turns and swapped positions” during the incident in February 2024.
Part of the alleged attack on the then 13-year-old was filmed on a mobile phone and was later “circulated amongst themselves” and “others,” according to prosecutors. The three boys have denied the charges against them.
Two of the teens, now aged 15 and 16, are standing trial at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court. The third boy, who is now 14, was determined to be unfit to stand trial, jurors were told.
Sara Haque, defending the 14-year-old, detailed agreed facts in the case, adding: “[The defendant] is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a learning difficulty with ASD traits. He was found unfit to stand trial considering evidence from experts from the prosecution and defence.”
She then told the court the boy’s mum said she saw him when he arrived home for dinner at about 6pm on the date of the incident. She added her son asked to sleep over at the home of a family member of one of the other boys, jurors heard.
“She described [the boy] as shadowboxing and talking to her,” Ms Haque added. “She recalled [the now 16-year-old] as letting on to her and said there was nothing unusual.”
Prosecuting lawyer Kim Whittlestone, prosecuting, earlier told jurors the “defendants acted together,” reports The Manchester Evening News. The court previously heard the girl was “physically pushed and bent over forward” as she was raped.
Ms Whittlestone said the boys then “all swapped.” She added it “would have been obvious” that she “did not want this to happen.” She continued: “It would have been clear that she was not consenting.”
The Crown’s case is now the 15 and 16-year-olds “are guilty of rape” and that “they knew what consent meant.” The prosecutor continued: “You will hear in this case that as part of their defence they will say that she consented to some sexual activity and she instigated it.”
“So, there can be no doubt that they knew what consent meant.” The trial was told a friend the girl was with “stepped in to stop what was happening.” The 15 and 16-year-old then ran away from the scene, the jury heard.
Ms Whittlestone said the now 14-year-old was “an active participant in what occurred.” She added the jury would be asked to find “whether he did the act” and whether he “encouraged” it to happen without the girl’s consent.
The indictment contains five counts of rape. Three counts relate specifically to each boy, while two are charged as “joint enterprise,” jurors were told. Each boy denies the charges against them.
