Two 14-year-old boys appear in court charged with attempted rape of girl in Ballymena

The defendants, who cannot be identified because of their ages, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court by videolink from custody where, speaking through a Romanian interpreter, they confirmed they understood the charge against them.

The teenagers are jointly charged with attempted oral rape of a female on June 7 this year.

According to a police statement at the weekend, the alleged teenage victim was subjected to a “serious sexual assault” in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena, sometime between 7.30pm and 10.30pm on Saturday evening.

In court on Monday, a detective constable gave evidence that she believed she could connect the teenagers to the charge.

She revealed that the police are also seeking a third suspect who is “around the same age”.

Defence solicitor Niall O’Neill said while there was no issue taken with the formal connection, “there is no application for bail this morning” as there is no suitable bail address for them to reside.

He told District Judge Peter King that during police interviews, the two boys denied the offences and gave samples to the police for forensic testing.

Mr O’Neill suggested taking the case for a week in the hope that by then, the defence will have obtained a suitable bail address

Judge King said: “I do not have the power to remand them to an adult court” and the next Youth Court was not until July 2.

Remanding the pair into custody to that date, he suggested to Mr O’Neill that if a bail address becomes available in the meantime, the defence can lodge a bring forward application.