Two 14-year-old boys have appeared in court, charged with attempted rape. Authorities are currently searching for a third suspect of a similar age.
Court Appearance and Charges
The two 14-year-old defendants, whose identities are being withheld due to their age, appeared via videolink at Coleraine Magistrates Court. Speaking through an interpreter, the court heard that the teenagers are Romanian. They are jointly charged with the attempted oral rape of a female, an incident alleged to have occurred on June 7th of this year.
Investigation Details
According to a police statement released over the weekend, the alleged victim was subjected to a “serious sexual assault” in Ballymena’s Clonavon Terrace area. This incident reportedly took place sometime between 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM on Saturday.
During Monday’s court proceedings, a police officer confirmed that detectives are actively seeking a third individual, believed to be around the same age as the two charged boys, in connection with the case.
Custody and Future Proceedings
Defence solicitor Niall O’Neill stated that no bail application was being made at this time, as there was no suitable address for the boys to reside. He informed District Judge Peter King that both teenagers denied the allegations during police interviews and provided samples for forensic testing.
District Judge King remanded the pair into custody until July 2nd. He also advised Mr. O’Neill that if a suitable bail address becomes available before that date, the defence could then submit a bail application.
