Five teens charged with raping young boy in Uppsala
Five teenage boys, aged 16-17, are set to face trial over the alleged rape of a child.
The five boys were charged on Tuesday with aggravated rape of a child, aged under 15, at knifepoint in a forested area of Uppsala's Gottsunda district in October, reports local newspaper UNT.
One of the boys is also charged with obstructing the course of justice and child pornography, on the grounds that he is suspected of having filmed parts of the assault and threatened to post it on social media if the victim contacted the police.
All five deny the charges. One of them has told police he was not at the scene at the time of the alleged incident; two have said they have no memory of it; and another two have acknowledged parts of the allegations but dispute it should be classed as aggravated rape.
The boys, both the suspects and the under-15 boy, had all arrived in Sweden as refugees and knew each other from before, but the motive behind the alleged rape has not been established. The AP news agency reports they had sought asylum in Sweden as unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan.
“There are reports that two of the perpetrators for some reason were annoyed with the plaintiff,” prosecutor Johan Strömbäck told the newspaper.
One of the boys' lawyer said his client did not remember the incident.
“He doesn't really have any memories, only fragments, and can therefore not state his position,” Stefan Wallin told UNT.
The trial is to start on Monday.
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The five boys were charged on Tuesday with aggravated rape of a child, aged under 15, at knifepoint in a forested area of Uppsala's Gottsunda district in October, reports local newspaper UNT.
One of the boys is also charged with obstructing the course of justice and child pornography, on the grounds that he is suspected of having filmed parts of the assault and threatened to post it on social media if the victim contacted the police.
All five deny the charges. One of them has told police he was not at the scene at the time of the alleged incident; two have said they have no memory of it; and another two have acknowledged parts of the allegations but dispute it should be classed as aggravated rape.
The boys, both the suspects and the under-15 boy, had all arrived in Sweden as refugees and knew each other from before, but the motive behind the alleged rape has not been established. The AP news agency reports they had sought asylum in Sweden as unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan.
“There are reports that two of the perpetrators for some reason were annoyed with the plaintiff,” prosecutor Johan Strömbäck told the newspaper.
One of the boys' lawyer said his client did not remember the incident.
“He doesn't really have any memories, only fragments, and can therefore not state his position,” Stefan Wallin told UNT.
The trial is to start on Monday.
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