Three boys aged 12, 13 and 14 are accused of ‘taking it in turns to rape’ a girl in an attack in undergrowth that was allegedly filmed and shared on social media site, Snapchat
A Snapchat clip that prosecutors claim captures part of an assault on a girl by three schoolboys aged 12, 13 and 14 was shown to a rape trial. The victim’s mum revealed to the court: “She was so frightened.”
Minshull Street Crown Court had previously been told the boys “took it in turns” to rape the then 13-year-old girl in undergrowth. A portion of the alleged assault was recorded on a mobile device, jurors had been informed earlier.
The footage was subsequently “shared among themselves” and “others.” The three boys, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, deny the charges against them. Two, now aged 15 and 16, are facing trial, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The third, who was aged 12 at the time and is now 14, has been ruled unfit to stand trial, jurors had been told earlier.
The girl, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons, was assaulted just off a pathway near the Newbold tram stop in Rochdale in February 2024, prosecutors claim.
“The prosecution say that they took it in turns and swapped positions,” prosecutor Kim Whittlestone had previously informed jurors. Ms Whittlestone stated it was the prosecution’s case that the now 15 and 16-year-olds ‘are guilty of rape’ and that ‘they knew what consent meant’.
“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 court heard that a friend of the girl intervened to halt the unfolding situation. The now 15 and 16-year-olds fled from the scene.
The jury was told that ‘some’ of the alleged incident was captured on a mobile phone. The girl, according to the prosecutor, was ‘not asked if she consented to filming’.
“You will watch that footage, a short 10 second clip, but it will give you an insight into the attitude of the defendants,” Ms Whittlestone informed the jury. “Later that night they circulated amongst themselves and to others that footage.”
On Friday (March 6), the jury was shown a 10-second Snapchat video. Prosecutors claimed it was recorded on the now 16-year-old’s phone.
The video was played twice at normal speed and once in slow motion. The jury could hear laughter in the clip.
A voice was heard saying ‘s**** it’. The court was informed that a hand could be seen touching the girl’s bottom.
The girl’s mother earlier provided testimony from the witness stand. She recounted the moment she received a call following the alleged incident.
She told jurors she noticed her phone light up, but dismissed it whilst driving. The woman explained she picked up when it rang a second time.
“What did you hear? ,” Ms Whittlestone asked. “Distress,” she replied.
A relative, she explained, was ‘screaming’ and saying: “What? What? What’s happened?” The mother informed the court: “Then [they] said the words no mum ever wants to hear – [the alleged victim] has been raped.”
In tears, the woman told jurors: “I stopped the car in the middle of the road. Everything was a blur. I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t function.”
She explained she ‘screamed and shouted’ at a relative to ‘go to her’ daughter. “I don’t remember any of the calls,” she added.
The woman informed jurors that upon reaching the location, her daughter and her friend were sitting in a relative’s car whilst they awaited police.
She explained her daughter told her: “Mum, they’ve done it to my bum and they hurt my bum.”
The woman added: “She was so frightened, so distressed. The only thing I said to her was ‘are you bleeding? We need to go to hospital’. The police came and took her to the hospital. I didn’t leave [her] side.”
Earlier, Ms Whittlestone explained the now 14-year-old has been deemed unfit to stand trial. She stated the jury would be asked to determine ‘whether he did the act’ and whether he ‘encouraged’ it to happen without the girl’s consent.
The indictment includes five counts of rape. Three counts are specifically related to each boy, whilst two are charged as ‘joint enterprise’, the jury was informed.
Each boy refutes the charges against them.