Thaindian News

London, Aug 19 (ANI): Two 11-year-old boys in Britain have each been given a three-year supervision order for attempting to rape an eight-year-old girl.

The incident came to light last year in October, when the girl told her mother the two boys, who were then 10, had assaulted her in Hayes, west London.

The jury at the Old Bailey found the pair guilty of attempted rape but cleared them of rape.

The defence claimed the boys - one of whom was described as a model pupil by his teacher - were just being naughty or playing a game, but jurors rejected the argument.

“I do not accept that what happened was a game but I do accept that you did not realise how serious what you were doing was,” Sky News quoted Justice Saunders as saying when sentencing them.

He said to impose any sort of custodial sentence would be “counter-productive” and not in the boys’ best interests.

“The jury decided that you did something very wrong which if you had been older would have very serious consequences for you,” the judge told the boys.

“Because you are so young, the court is mainly concerned with doing what is best for you with the aim of ensuring that you do not do anything like it again,” he stated.

The judge said both boys would be ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for two and a half years.

“It may sound from all this that I am forgetting the little girl involved. I do not. Everyone will sympathise with her for what she has gone through,” he said.

“Not only what happened to her as the victim of these offences, but also to have to give evidence about them.

“I hope that she will be given all the help that she undoubtedly deserves to get over her experiences,” he added. (ANI)