17year old accused of rape

[loublou]

My friends son is 17 he was arrested on Sunday for rape of a 15yr old girl. The girl states she was held down by one boy whilst the other raped her. This was ment to of happened twelve months ago. There is no forensic or DNA evidence and only her and the two boys present they both deny this. What is likely to happen

[loublou]

Also the police told us that the girl can not remember the day this happened only that it was about a year ago in the woods. These kids all went to school together and went to the woods all the time. Is this enough to convict them. Both the victim and one of the suspects have learning difficulties. The solicitor said it shouldn't go to court but I am worried it will and my friends son will go to prison

[Casehardened]

Hi Loulou and welcome to the forum,

Unfortunately none of us can reassure you as what will happen to your friend's son as every case is different, though you can take some comfort from the solicitor's opinion as he sat in on the interview.

As this case is historic and so doesn't hinge on the existence or absence of physical evidence it it one of those 'she said' and 'he said' cases; however in this instance there are three witnesses rather than the usual two.

If the detail in the two boys accounts (I'm assuming they were interviewed separately and simultaneously) is corroborative, then this points to their version of events being the correct one.

There is some general advice in this link for you but do keep posting for support for you and your friend.

http://www.daftmoo.org.uk/mooforum/s...at-happens-now

[loublou]

At present only my friends son has been interviewed. The police are at very beginning stages of investigation. She is concerned that her son will be sent down for something he hasn't done and wondered if word of mouth from a girl who was supposedly raped a year ago is enough to convict

Hi Loulou and welcome to the forum,

Unfortunately none of us can reassure you as what will happen to your friend's son as every case is different, though you can take some comfort from the solicitor's opinion as he sat in on the interview.

As this case is historic and so doesn't hinge on the existence or absence of physical evidence it it one of those 'she said' and 'he said' cases; however in this instance there are three witnesses rather than the usual two.

If the detail in the two boys accounts (I'm assuming they were interviewed separately and simultaneously) is corroborative, then this points to their version of events being the correct one.

There is some general advice in this link for you but do keep posting for support for you and your friend.

http://www.daftmoo.org.uk/mooforum/s...at-happens-now

[Casehardened]

At present only my friends son has been interviewed. The police are at very beginning stages of investigation. She is concerned that her son will be sent down for something he hasn't done and wondered if word of mouth from a girl who was supposedly raped a year ago is enough to convict

Without wanting to depress you unduly, but yes, word of mouth from an accuser is enough to start an investigation; how far this goes will depend on the investigating lawyer at the CPS, and of course any conviction will depend on the opinion of the jury not the police or CPS.

I am surprised the other lad has not already been interviewed unless of course the police are not entirely convinced about the accusation.

Be prepared for the whole process to take a long while though!