Boy, 13, gets life for raping teacher
2005-03-11 14:55:19
A 13-year-old boy has been detained for life for raping his teacher at a special needs centre.
The boy, who was just 12 when he committed the assault, cannot be identified for legal reasons but he is one of Britain's youngest convicted rapists.
He attacked the woman during a one-to-one teaching session at the centre in County Durham last November. Afterwards, he stole her car and drove it for 30 miles before dumping it.
The stocky youngster, who is just 5ft 3in tall and has severe learning difficulties, admitted the charge at an earlier hearing.
Sentencing the cropped-haired boy at Teesside Crown Court, Mr Justice Grigson added: "These problems are not of your own making. But it is plain that until these problems are dealt with you are very likely to commit other offences, other offences as serious as this, so the public has to be properly protected until such time as your problems have been assisted."
John Evans, defending, said his client had been the victim of sexual and physical abuse since he was very young. Even at the age of 4, his GP expressed concern that he was under the influence of illicit substances.
The judge told the boy, who wore a hooded top and grey cargo-style trousers, that he must serve at least 21 months detention but warned him it was likely he would serve much longer.
He told the boy: "You have admitted a very serious offence. You attacked a young woman, a very young woman who had done you no harm, indeed whose only intention was helping you overcome your particular problems.
"She was a very young woman who had her whole life ahead of her. You raped her. You attacked her in a sexual way, which was a very serious offence.
"You know that better than anybody - you were the victim of such an attack. Despite your very young age, it is quite clear that you knew what you were doing.
"You waited until there was nobody in the building. She did not want you to do it but she was terrified of you."
The court was told that after the attack the teacher, who is in her 30s, locked herself in a lavatory and called police on her mobile.
The boy, meanwhile, grabbed the keys to her £21,000 car and drove at least 30 miles to Gateshead before abandoning it. He was finally caught by police in the town.
What ever next?
2005-03-11 14:55:19
A 13-year-old boy has been detained for life for raping his teacher at a special needs centre.
The boy, who was just 12 when he committed the assault, cannot be identified for legal reasons but he is one of Britain's youngest convicted rapists.
He attacked the woman during a one-to-one teaching session at the centre in County Durham last November. Afterwards, he stole her car and drove it for 30 miles before dumping it.
The stocky youngster, who is just 5ft 3in tall and has severe learning difficulties, admitted the charge at an earlier hearing.
Sentencing the cropped-haired boy at Teesside Crown Court, Mr Justice Grigson added: "These problems are not of your own making. But it is plain that until these problems are dealt with you are very likely to commit other offences, other offences as serious as this, so the public has to be properly protected until such time as your problems have been assisted."
John Evans, defending, said his client had been the victim of sexual and physical abuse since he was very young. Even at the age of 4, his GP expressed concern that he was under the influence of illicit substances.
The judge told the boy, who wore a hooded top and grey cargo-style trousers, that he must serve at least 21 months detention but warned him it was likely he would serve much longer.
He told the boy: "You have admitted a very serious offence. You attacked a young woman, a very young woman who had done you no harm, indeed whose only intention was helping you overcome your particular problems.
"She was a very young woman who had her whole life ahead of her. You raped her. You attacked her in a sexual way, which was a very serious offence.
"You know that better than anybody - you were the victim of such an attack. Despite your very young age, it is quite clear that you knew what you were doing.
"You waited until there was nobody in the building. She did not want you to do it but she was terrified of you."
The court was told that after the attack the teacher, who is in her 30s, locked herself in a lavatory and called police on her mobile.
The boy, meanwhile, grabbed the keys to her £21,000 car and drove at least 30 miles to Gateshead before abandoning it. He was finally caught by police in the town.
What ever next?
