Mick Hartley

From Oxfordshire:

A teenage boy has been handed a youth rehabilitation order after raping a 12-year-old girl who has since died in Kidlington.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty earlier this year of raping a girl at Exeter Park in June 2021, when he was 13 years of age.

The teenager denied the offence but was found guilty by a jury on February 26 after a week-long trial.

During the trial, the jury heard the girl, whom the Oxford Mail has decided not to name, has since died.

The reason and cause for her passing has not been explicitly disclosed in court.

A victim impact statement written by the girl’s father was read out before sentencing.

He wrote: “She was a bubbly girl and the heart of the household.

“She was selfless and was always doing things for other people. She would always put others before herself.

“What [he] did to her changed her life. I tried to speak to her about what happened but she struggled to open up.

“She wanted to put it all behind her…but I knew what happened to her was eating her up inside.

“She started to push very close friends away. I can’t begin to imagine what she was going through.

“She started listening to emotional music and watching shows about suicide. She began to self-harm three months after the incident.

“No amount of words could quantify the amount of pain we’ve felt from her death."…

Defending the boy, defence barrister Peter du Feu said he has stayed out of trouble since and understands and he wants to become a better member of the community.

He said: “He wasn’t kind that day. He’s trying to do what he can to be better, to be a better member of the community, and withdraw into a family that surrounds him with love and support.

“It’s so tragic that [the girl] is no longer with us. It makes this case exponentially worse.

“But he’s tried to stay out of trouble and be better.”

Addressing the boy, Judge Lamb said: “I’m not sure it’s right to say that you were selfish but you were not kind and you need to understand that women and girls need to be treated with respect…respect and care.”

I realise the age is some kind of mitigating factor, but…what??? Even if a non-custodial sentence can be justified given that he was only 13 at the time…that language: “I’m not sure it’s right to say that you were selfish but you were not kind and you need to understand that women and girls need to be treated with respect…respect and care.” You've been a naughty boy, but no real harm done, eh?