Teens admit schoolgirl sex attack

9:47pm Friday 24th August 2007

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THREE drunken teenage boys subjected a young girl to a terrifying sex attack after chasing her into the bathroom during a house party.

The 13-year-old was followed upstairs, where the three pinned her down and one used an object to commit a sex act.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is now 16 and reported the incident, which happened in Haslingden September 2004, in January 2005.

Her three attackers who were also 13 at the time, said they had been "having a laugh" which had "gone too far."

Both the victim and the accused are all from Haslingden.

Two of the boys admitted sexual touching and a third admitted sexual touching with penetration.

The Crown Prosecution Service also withdrew the charges against two other youngsters at the hearing.

The girl went to the house party where she and the other party goers had been drinking, Silvia Dacre, prosecuting, told the court.

She was followed up the stairs, pushed into the bedroom and held down while someone pulled her tracksuits bottoms down, Burnley youth court was told.

The court was told that the victim fought the boys off before escaping to the bathroom where she was followed and attacked again.

Ms Dacre said: "They all followed and held her down and pulled down her pants.

"Someone had put their hands over her ears and she felt there was someone committing a sex act.

"She was described as being distressed but did not mention the attack afterwards.

"She said she felt drunk but was not passing out, just happy."

The girl only decided to report the accident to the police the following year after people at the party said the attack had been caused by her drunken behaviour, added the prosecution.

Ms Dacre said: "The defendant accepted that the girl had been pushed into the bathroom and said we were having a laugh but I suppose it went too far.'"

The three attackers showed remorse and were of good character, the court was told.

The first youth, accepting he held the girl down and touched her, was handed an attendance order for 18 hours.

Magistrates extended the second youth's previous referral order by three months taking it to the maximum 12 months, after he admitted to holding onto the girls legs in the bedroom.

The third youth was given an 11 month referral order.

Chairing the bench, Sandra Ballal, also ordered each youngster to pay £75.

She said: "The thing that makes this more serious is that it was a group action, where alcohol was consumed and that it was a sustained attack because you actually chased her.

"We feel the victim deserves some compensation because she will have to live with this for the rest of her life so we feel you should pay £75."

Five youths were originally charged with serious sex offences under the new Sexual Offences Act 2003.

However a judical review of this decision determined the charges could be dealt with my magistrates.