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The three boys accused of taking it in turns to rape a girl have been found not guilty

521 replies

Lougle · 19/03/2026 08:04

The three boys accused of taking it in turns to rape a girl have been found not guilty on all counts despite some of the incident being filmed. How could that be? That poor girl. I believe in justice, I wasn't in court. I just can't understand it though.

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nomas · 19/03/2026 13:50

Can they not get them on charges of filming without her consent?

The scrote boys and their parents should be tarred and feathered.

Naunet · 19/03/2026 13:49

dreamsofthebeach86 · 19/03/2026 13:46

Yes, it all sounds very sad.

I don’t know anymore than I have read there, but the jury obviously had reason to believe it was consensual. And they have seen the footage.

Surely, if the boys had been older, it would be rape, and the punishment would be severe.

Presumably the evidence and the footage suggested that it was consensual, and the boys have been found not guilty due to them also being under the age of consent.

It sounds like, even if it was consensual, the poor girl has regretted it immediately. It’s a horrible, horrible situation.

It sounds like everybody has got caught up in peer pressure and the result has been hugely damaging to all. Mostly the girl, undeniably, but these boys were very young as well.

You have no idea if the jury thought it was consensual, or if they just didn't think there was enough evidence to 'ruin 3 boys lives'.

CharSiu · 19/03/2026 13:49

@CherryBlossom321 When someone wrote it was a woman barrister who fought for these men it made it feel even worse.

Ihatetomatoes · 19/03/2026 13:48

The boy claimed he saw the girl performing oral sex on the now 14-year-old. He also said he recorded a 10-second video which showed the girl performing oral sex on him whilst the now 16-year-old boy was behind her.

"Did you know what [the now 16-year-old] was doing?" Mr Gilmour asked. "He was having sex with her," the boy said. The now 15-year-old said he had told the girl to 's* it'.

Asked why he decided to film the encounter, he said: "Because at the time I used to film everything I did. I thought it was OK to film her."

Asked if he thought what he was doing was wrong, he said no. He said he sent the video to the now 16-year-old 'because he asked him to'.

Asked why he left the bush, he said: "I left because I wasn't h**d and I couldn't do anything and my mates were going. I just followed them," he said.

When questioned why he ran from the bushes, he said: "You can see us running around town all day, that's what we were doing."

Mr Gilmour asked how he felt about the incident. he said: "It doesn't make me feel very good, that these people are saying these false allegations. And my family have gone through a lot of stress about it. It's just not been nice seeing my family stressed."

He added: "I don't feel very happy about what happened."

The boy previously told the court that he left school early and worked for his family's business.

The trial has previously been told how the boys "took it in turns and swapped positions" during the incident in February 2024.

Prosecutors say part of the alleged attack on the then-13-year-old was filmed on a mobile phone and was later "circulated amongst themselves" and "others".

Previously, Ms Whittlestone said the now 14-year-old has been found unfit to stand trial.

She said the jury would be asked to find "whether he did the act" and whether he "encouraged" it to happen without the girl's consent.

The indictment contains five counts of rape. Three counts relate specifically to each boy, while two are charged as 'joint enterprise', jurors were told. Each boy denies the charges they face.

The trial continues. This was from previous reporting of trial

Naunet · 19/03/2026 13:47

IWaffleAlot · 19/03/2026 13:38

So why wasn’t the friend also attacked and raped then? She stood there as well. Clearly something here doesn’t add up and why they came to that conclusion.

Amazing. And this is the standard of 'evidence' needed in a rape case - there was another female nearby, so if its true, why wasn't she raped as well? Must be a lie then. Incredible.

likelysuspect · 19/03/2026 13:46

I didnt see the bit where she was asked if she wanted sex and said no?

When did that bit happen, was it afterwards?

She said in cross examination that she didnt say anything, neither yes or no.

dreamsofthebeach86 · 19/03/2026 13:46

Ionlymakejokestodistractmyself · 19/03/2026 08:27

Yes there's footage but they claimed it was consensual. From what I've read, the footage does not show her struggling or saying no etc. Obviously if the evidence was black and white I'm sure they would have been found guilty. Sounds like a pretty grim affair all round.

Yes, it all sounds very sad.

I don’t know anymore than I have read there, but the jury obviously had reason to believe it was consensual. And they have seen the footage.

Surely, if the boys had been older, it would be rape, and the punishment would be severe.

Presumably the evidence and the footage suggested that it was consensual, and the boys have been found not guilty due to them also being under the age of consent.

It sounds like, even if it was consensual, the poor girl has regretted it immediately. It’s a horrible, horrible situation.

It sounds like everybody has got caught up in peer pressure and the result has been hugely damaging to all. Mostly the girl, undeniably, but these boys were very young as well.

Naunet · 19/03/2026 13:43

Needspaceforlego · 19/03/2026 13:03

3 boys and the 2 girls got on the tram they all got off at the same stop.
When the incident happened.
The video is 10 secs.

I'm not convinced there was any sort of resistance. Why didn't the pal phone the police?

Very unusual for a gang rape to have a friend witness and not also be a victim.

Wow. Did you think its only rape if the little girl fights and resists a gang of boys?

Dalmationday · 19/03/2026 13:43

Naunet · 19/03/2026 08:29

SHE WAS 12.

How could it be consensual? Jesus christ. So now gang rape victims must struggle enough and not freeze as many do, otherwise its not rape, no matter how young they are.

This. How harrowing

likelysuspect · 19/03/2026 13:42

IWaffleAlot · 19/03/2026 13:36

I read that they stopped when the friend she was with intervened? Was this friend standing and watching? I’m confused by that part

Yes, the friend could see she looked scared and eventually run in to grab her and then the boys ran off

EasternStandard · 19/03/2026 13:41

IWaffleAlot · 19/03/2026 13:38

So why wasn’t the friend also attacked and raped then? She stood there as well. Clearly something here doesn’t add up and why they came to that conclusion.

That’s not a defence. We only did it to one of you.

Itsmetheflamingo · 19/03/2026 13:41

IWaffleAlot · 19/03/2026 13:38

So why wasn’t the friend also attacked and raped then? She stood there as well. Clearly something here doesn’t add up and why they came to that conclusion.

Why is it a given they’d rape both of them? I don’t understand your thinking.

ParmaVioletTea · 19/03/2026 13:40

WarmSnake · 19/03/2026 08:22

What the actual heck? There’s footage of it happening!!! This is an outrage - is there a petition or something so the poor girl can get justice?
Girls and women are second class citizens in this country. This needs to be challenged.

Less than second class and not citizens. Some people don’t see women as fully human.

IWaffleAlot · 19/03/2026 13:38

Alpacajigsaw · 19/03/2026 13:36

She was asked if she wanted sex and said no.

A friend was present who witnessed it

it was recorded

wtaf? How much clearer could it be?

that poor girl. And the boys will feel emboldened now

So why wasn’t the friend also attacked and raped then? She stood there as well. Clearly something here doesn’t add up and why they came to that conclusion.

Alpacajigsaw · 19/03/2026 13:36

She was asked if she wanted sex and said no.

A friend was present who witnessed it

it was recorded

wtaf? How much clearer could it be?

that poor girl. And the boys will feel emboldened now

IWaffleAlot · 19/03/2026 13:36

I read that they stopped when the friend she was with intervened? Was this friend standing and watching? I’m confused by that part

likelysuspect · 19/03/2026 13:30

Ive only read 2 of these so far but I can see how the jury may be led to believe that the boys thought it was consensual

Am I reading this right that the youngest and oldest boys were the ones who raped her, the middle one filmed it but didnt engage with her despite being the one that put his arm round her?

And notice he is now working for his family's business so literally walked out of this, out of school and into a job.

Carla786 · 19/03/2026 13:28

Needspaceforlego · 19/03/2026 13:22

I think that is probably the bottom line to it.
Its started out consensual and become rape later.
Especially as the pal looked on.

But thats a hard line to draw, who did what when, and at what point did it become rape.
I don't think the jury could prove beyond all reasonable doubt.

I agree it would be hard for the jury.

Otoh I'm enraged by the arguments quoted in the itv piece : both lawyers seem to focus on whether the victim agreed to sex with one of the boys and ignore the gang rape element. I suppose they must have addressed it : it would be very hard imo to argue that she agreed to have sex with all 4 of them.

Needspaceforlego · 19/03/2026 13:22

Carla786 · 19/03/2026 13:18

I wonder if there IS a small chance that the victim did agree to sex with one of the boys. What I strongly doubt is that agreed to have sex with all of them. It could potentially have started consensually and then became sexual assault.

I think that is probably the bottom line to it.
Its started out consensual and become rape later.
Especially as the pal looked on.

But thats a hard line to draw, who did what when, and at what point did it become rape.
I don't think the jury could prove beyond all reasonable doubt.

Carla786 · 19/03/2026 13:21

Ihatetomatoes · 19/03/2026 13:19

There was a case with someone famous, a footballer I believe, he invited his mates who then had sex after he did. Awful for the female.

Was that Ched Evans?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Evans_and_McDonald

R v Evans and McDonald - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Evans_and_McDonald

Itsmetheflamingo · 19/03/2026 13:21

Ihatetomatoes · 19/03/2026 13:19

There was a case with someone famous, a footballer I believe, he invited his mates who then had sex after he did. Awful for the female.

He was a scum bag. Lots of people still support him

I believe that if we looked back to the footballer “spit roast” stories of the earlier 2000s we would now view them as rape

likelysuspect · 19/03/2026 13:20

Needspaceforlego · 19/03/2026 13:03

3 boys and the 2 girls got on the tram they all got off at the same stop.
When the incident happened.
The video is 10 secs.

I'm not convinced there was any sort of resistance. Why didn't the pal phone the police?

Very unusual for a gang rape to have a friend witness and not also be a victim.

Thats a good point, was the friend a second victim

Ihatetomatoes · 19/03/2026 13:19

Carla786 · 19/03/2026 13:18

I wonder if there IS a small chance that the victim did agree to sex with one of the boys. What I strongly doubt is that agreed to have sex with all of them. It could potentially have started consensually and then became sexual assault.

There was a case with someone famous, a footballer I believe, he invited his mates who then had sex after he did. Awful for the female.

Ihatetomatoes · 19/03/2026 13:18

"The prosecution say that they took it in turns and swapped positions," Ms Whittlestone said. She was asked if she wanted to have sex and replied 'no', the jury heard, which was heard by the friend she was with."

Surely ''NO" means precisely that, she didn't want sex but they took turns and filmed it anyway. Very odd.