Teens Acquitted in Rochdale Rape Case

0:00On March 18, three boys aged 12, 13, and 14 at the time have been found not guilty of raping a teenage girl near a tram stop in. Rochdale back in February 2024. Now aged 14, 15, and 16, they face charges of rape and joint enterprise, a mental street crown court, but a jury cleared them of. Everything after a two week trial. Prosecutors claimed the boys took turns during the incident off a footpath, with some of it filmed on a phone and shared around. The girl said no when asked about sex, and her friend tried to intervene before two of the boys ran off. Meanwhile, the boys insisted it was all consensual, describing flirting on a tram ride beforehand and saying she went into the bushes willingly. The case drew attention to how consent works among young teens, with the fence lawyers arguing it's not black and white and that kids shouldn't be. Judged like adults, they pointed to inconsistencies in the girl's account, and noted she didn't scream or clearly say, stop it first. One boy has ADHD and learning difficulties with autism traits, so he was deemed unfit

1:04for trial jurors just decided if he did the acts or encouraged. Vim. After nearly ten hours of deliberations, the jury returned not guilty verdicts on all counts, including for the third boy. This outcome leaves questions about handling such sensitive cases with adolescents, especially when evidence like phone footage comes into play. The full details emerged in court, underscoring ongoing challenges in these youth cases, as authorities review what happened that day.