Three Schoolboys Accused of Rape and Sharing Footage in Rochdale Car Park Attack
A harrowing court case has heard allegations that three schoolboys, aged 12, 13, and 14 at the time, took turns raping a 13-year-old girl in a supermarket car park before sharing mobile phone footage of the assault. The defendants, who cannot be named for legal reasons and are now aged 14, 15, and 16, face multiple charges of rape in connection with the alleged incident in Rochdale in February 2024.
Details of the Alleged Assault Emerge in Court
Prosecutor Kim Whittlestone told Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court that the teenage girl was physically pushed and bent over forward during the attack, which occurred just off a footpath next to a Morrisons supermarket and Newbold tram stop. The prosecution alleges the boys acted together, with the girl not knowing them and having been in their company for only a short period.
Ms Whittlestone stated, "It would have been obvious that she did not want this to happen. It would have been clear that she was not consenting." The jury heard that the girl was asked if she wanted to have sex and replied "no," a response overheard by a friend who was with her.
Footage Circulated and Legal Proceedings Underway
Part of the attack was allegedly filmed on a mobile phone, with the footage later circulated amongst themselves and others. Ms Whittlestone described a short 10-second clip that jurors will watch, saying it provides insight into the defendants' attitudes. The girl was not asked for consent to be filmed, the court was told.
Two of the defendants, now aged 15 and 16, are standing trial, while the third, who was 12 at the time and is now 14, has been deemed unfit to stand trial. However, the jury will still be asked to determine if he participated in or encouraged the act without consent. All three deny the charges.
Prosecution Alleges Joint Enterprise and Overpowering of Victim
The prosecution argues this was a joint enterprise to rape, with the boys allegedly swapping positions during the assault. Ms Whittlestone said the defendants overpowered the girl, who felt panicked and scared, telling police her head was "going 100 miles per hour" and it was "horrible." A friend of the victim reportedly stepped in to stop the attack, causing the two older boys to run away.
CCTV evidence showed the boys talking to girls in Rochdale town centre before heading to the tram station. The alleged victim and her friend were waiting at the stop, and all got on a tram to Newbold. Upon exiting, the boys allegedly blocked their path and manhandled them, leading to the assault in nearby bushes.
The indictment includes five counts of rape: three specific to each boy and two as joint enterprise charges. The trial continues as the court examines these grave allegations in detail.
