Boy, 15, faces rape charges

A schoolboy appeared in court yesterday charged with raping a girl and boy, both aged seven, when he was 13. The younger children lived near the teenager in Nottingham, the city's crown court was told.

The boy now aged 15, denies raping the girl once and the boy on more than one occasion at his home. John Burgess, for the prosecution, said the girl was raped in a bedroom, but it was not until six months later that she told her cousin and the police became involved. He told the jury: "A child under 14 cannot be guilty of a criminal offence unless at the time he knew what he was doing was seriously wrong. The prosecution say he did know this."

Mr Burgess said the boy's teacher had said he knew right from wrong. The case continues.