Two 14-year-old boys charged with the attempted rape of a teenage girl in Ballymena have appeared before a judge for a second time. The case has continued to draw significant attention following the serious allegations made last month.
The boys face charges in connection with an alleged serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in the Clonavon Terrace area of the County Antrim town. The incident sparked days of race-related anti-immigration rioting in Ballymena, with linked sporadic outbreaks of violence spreading to other parts of Northern Ireland.
Court appearance via video-link
The case was mentioned at a youth court sitting in Ballymena on Wednesday morning. The two teenagers, who interacted with the court through a Romanian interpreter, appeared together via video-link from a juvenile justice centre.
They were originally remanded into custody at their first court appearance two days after the alleged attack in June. During Wednesday's brief hearing before district judge Nigel Broderick, a prosecution lawyer said a file on the case was still being prepared.
Evidence gathering continues
The prosecutor said she would confirm to the court at the next sitting whether an achieving best evidence (ABE) interview had been completed with the alleged victim. Both boys are accused of attempting to orally rape the girl.
At their first court appearance last month, a judge was told both accused denied the alleged offence during interview with police. The teenagers spoke briefly during Wednesday's hearing to confirm they understood what was being discussed in court.
Further remand granted
The boys were further remanded in custody as the case was listed again for a further review hearing on 16th July. Legal representatives for both accused did not raise any objections to their further remand into custody.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
