Teenage Girl Breaks Down in Court Recounting Alleged Rape by Three Boys
A teenage girl broke down in tears as she recounted to a jury how she was allegedly raped by three boys aged 12, 13, and 14 at the time of the incident. The emotional testimony unfolded at Minshull Street Crown Court, where the girl described being led into bushes near the Newbold tram stop in Rochdale in February 2024.
Alleged Attack Details and Mobile Phone Footage
Prosecutor Kim Whittlestone told jurors that the three boys "took it in turns" to rape the then-13-year-old girl. Shockingly, part of the alleged attack was filmed on a mobile phone, with the footage then "circulated amongst themselves" and "others," according to the prosecution. The girl said seeing this recording made her feel "disgusting."
The three boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, deny all charges. Two of them, now aged 15 and 16, are currently standing trial. The third boy, who was 12 at the time and is now 14, has been deemed unfit to stand trial, though jurors will still consider whether he committed the acts alleged.
Emotional Cross-Examination and Denial of Consent
During a pre-recorded video played to the court, the girl was cross-examined by defence barristers. When asked if she had consented to sexual activity, she responded tearfully: "I never said yeah." She described feeling "quite uncomfortable" when one of the boys put his arm around her as she got off the tram, and said it was his idea to go into the bushes.
The girl denied any flirting or attraction to the boys, stating she knew two of them but not personally. She described being "pushed down" into a bent-over position and said she was in shock during the alleged attack, unable to scream or call for help.
Friend's Intervention and Police Involvement
The court heard how the girl's friend entered the bushes and described her as "looking scared," which caused the boys to move away. According to testimony, the friend said she heard the girl crying and one boy saying "let me have a go on her" before intervening to stop what was happening.
Initially, the girl did not want to report the incident to her mother or police because she "didn't want to create a big problem" and didn't want anyone to find out. Eventually, her friend called the girl's mother, who then contacted the authorities. The girl admitted: "I didn't want the police to be involved."
Defence Claims and Prosecution Response
Defence barristers suggested the girl had consented to sexual activity, but she firmly denied this. Rachel Shenton, representing the now 15-year-old, asked if he was right in claiming she consented, to which the girl replied: "He is wrong, I didn't say a word to him."
Prosecutor Whittlestone told the court it was the prosecution's case that the two defendants on trial are "guilty of rape" and that "they knew what consent meant." She noted that the defence would claim the girl consented and instigated the activity, which she said demonstrated the defendants understood consent concepts.
Trial Proceedings and Charges
The indictment contains five counts of rape, with three counts relating specifically to each boy and two charged as "joint enterprise." All defendants deny the charges against them. The trial continues as the jury considers the evidence presented.
During re-examination, the girl became emotional when asked to elaborate on what happened while she was allegedly being raped orally. She wrote on a post-it note: "Someone was putting their penis inside me from behind," which was read to the court.
