Three charged in connection with sex assault on schoolgirl during exam break fail to stop trials

Judge said only prejudice which had been established by the three applicants was the potential loss of the opportunity to avail of the reporting restrictions under the Children Act 2001.

The High Court has refused to stop the trials of three young men who face charges arising out of the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl when they were all on a break during school exams.

The defendants, who themselves were all teenagers at the time but are now over 18, claimed a lengthy delay in prosecuting them meant they had lost certain entitlements to be tried as children, including the chance of being dealt with in the district court where penalties are lower and they would have the right to anonymity.