A 15-year-old has been released on bail after he faced a court today on a serious sexual assault charge.
The teen boy, who cannot be named because of his age, appeared at Derry Magistrates’ Court on a single count of rape.
The offence is alleged to have taken place on Friday night, May 5, while both he and the girl were socialising and drinking alcohol in St Columb’s Park in the city.
The 17-year-old victim later told detectives from the PSNI’s Rape Crime Unit that she had drunk half a bottle of vodka and some Bacardi rum.
She said she got chatting with the boy and the two of them went off together.
The teenager told detectives that she later fell to the ground and the boy got on top of her and raped her.
Police were alerted when the girl got home.
Derry Magistrates’ Court heard today that although the youth admitted some sexual activity with the girl, he denied raping her.
A district judge released him on bail, despite police objections he could interfere with witnesses as they continue their investigations.
The youth was banned from having a mobile phone, drinking alcohol and was ordered to observe a night time to morning curfew.
Any breaches of the stringent bail conditions could land him back in court and could result in him being committed to a youth detention centre.
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