Teen in sex attack on girl, 7
An eight-year-old girl suffers terrible nightmares after a 14-year-old boy forced her to perform a sex act upon him.
SUFFOLK: An eight-year-old girl suffers terrible nightmares after a 14-year-old boy forced her to perform a sex act upon him.
The young victim, who cannot be named, was seven at the time of the incident, which took place in a locked room in the Ipswich area.
In a witness impact statement read to Ipswich Youth Court, the victim's mother spoke of her heartache after the event, which has left a dramatic mark on her daughter's life.
She said: “She now has terrible nightmares and won't sleep without her bedroom and hallway light on.
“She used to be very happy and bubbly but she is now a very different little girl.”
The teenage attacker, who is from the Mid Suffolk area and who also cannot be named for legal reasons, was a friend of his victim's family and had known the girl since she was born.
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The young girl's mother said the youngster has become very withdrawn since the incident, which happened between May and October last year.
She said: “She has become very insecure and her nature has changed very quickly. She now needs constant attention and keeps asking if we still love her.”
The court heard the youngster now suffers recurring dreams someone is coming after her and has become distant from friends and teachers at her school.
The mother said the family no longer entertain friends at home and don't let the young girl have contact with boys outside school.
“This has affected my whole family,” she said. “We don't trust male children anymore. She was always affectionate and trusting and would have believed anything anybody said to her. I think he should be punished for what he has done.”
The boy was sentenced to a 12-month referral order to work with social services by magistrates, who said the offence was so serious it could have resulted in custody.
The court heard the teenager had admitted the matter when confronted by his mother and had since taken full responsibility for his actions.
The boy told the court: “I know what I did was really wrong and I have spent every day regretting it. If I could go back, I would never have considered doing it. I had no idea it had affected her so badly.
“Just to hear what she has been through and how badly she is feeling is awful.”
Bernard Turner, presiding magistrate, said: “You took advantage of a situation and the door was locked while the offence took place.”
The boy was also added to the Sexual Offenders' Register for two-and-a-half years and ordered to pay �85 costs.
