Rape attempt charge ‘curious case’

Press, 7 October 1980, Page 4

Rape attempt charge ‘curious case’

The “curious case” of a boy, aged 16, who had a few beers after a football match, fell off his bicycle on the wav home and then allgeedly attempted to rape in the street a young woman on her way to church, was described to Mr Justice Somers and a jury in the High Court yesterday. The bov, whose name has been suppressed, has pleaded not guiltv to a charge of attempting to rape a woman, aged 23, on May 11, in Bolton Avenue. Mr G. K. Panckhurst appears for the Crown, and Messrs S. G. Erber and G. r. Orchard for accused. The trial is expected to finish today. Opening his case Mr Panckhurst said that the circumstances were curious to say the least. After being pulled off the woman the boy lay on the footpath as if unconscious. One of the men, who had. rescued the young woman, remarkd that he appeared to be playing possum. , , Taken to the Central Police Station the boy complained severe stomach pains and vomited a number of times. He claimed to know nothing about the incidents he had been involved in Bolton Avenue. His damaged bicycle and duffel bag containing football gear was found nearby. A blood sample showed that he had not drunk a large amount of liquor. His friends would give evidence that he appeared to be his normal self when he left to go home. The police were left with no explanation for the boy’s conduct and he now faced a charge of. attempted rape, Mr Panckhurst said. A woman, aged 23, said that she was walking alone to church on a Sunday evening when she saw the boy coming towards her. He appeared to be “somewhat dopey” and his arms were hanging at his side. He was breathing heavily. As he went past her thej boy grabbed her around the

waist and tried to kiss her ■ on the lips. She struggled ’ and told him to leave her alone. The boy told her that"; he wanted to touch her.' : Eventually she managed to ” break free and ran across' the road but the boy follow- ' ed her, grabbed her and' there was another struggle. She fell down on her back '. with her head over the gutter. The boy had her around the throat and said that he wanted to have intercourse with her. He exposed himself to her and attempted to; touch her breasts. She kept a telling him to leave her alone and said, "Oh my God why did this have to happen; to me.” She kept struggling and telling him to stop • and - called out for help. He told her that he had a knife in’i. his pocket and if she did not shut up he would herHe kept her pinned down. After a time she managed to get up but the boy caught her again and she fell on her side on the grass verge in front of a house. He was crouching on top of her. The boy pulled her pants partially down and at-’ tempted to have intercourse 1 with her. She fought to prevent him. Some cars went past but there were no pedestrians. They were both making a lot of noise and a man came across the road and said; "What’s all this racket about?” She called out tohim that she was being raped. The man pulled the boy off her, the woman said, andhe lay limply on the foot-: ■ path. When the -man went into the house to call the police the boy again , attacked her and tried to in-, decently assault her. The man, who went into the house, returned with another man and the boy was vpulled off her. A woman in- ’ vited her into a house. Her panty hose had two large holes in it, a button was tom off her long suede coat and her silver necklace was broken, the woman said.- v