17-y-o freed of buggery

A 17-year-old youth who was charged with buggery when he was 13 has been freed of the charge.

A schoolgirl, who was also 13 at the time of the alleged offence, was the complainant. She testified that the accused committed the act in a classroom, while they were at school. She reported the incident to her mother a day later. The matter was reported to the police and the boy was arrested and charged.

The accused from the outset had admitted to the police that he had sexual intercourse with the girl in the classroom. He said she was telling lies that he buggered her.

When the case came for trial this week in the Home Circuit Court, the accused denied the allegation. In his defence, he told the jury that he only had sexual intercourse with the girl and it was with her consent.

Attorney-at-law Jacqueline Asher, in addressing the jury, asked them to find the accused not guilty. She asked the jury to find that her client spoke the truth as to what took place in the classroom. The seven-member jury retired and returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.