Three Boys Arrested in Girl's Rape
By ASHLEY H. GRANT
08:19 PM ET 09/22/99
ST. PAUL (AP) - Three boys were arrested Wednesday in the alleged gang rape of
an 8-year-old girl, while the four other suspects were too young for prosecution. The
three boys, ages 10, 11 and 13, were being held at a juvenile detention center on
preliminary charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The boys must be charged
within 48 hours.
``We figured that enough had come together to bring them in,'' said police
spokesman Michael Jordan. ``They are accused of a significant crime.''
Because the boys are under 14, they cannot be tried as adults. If convicted,
they could be confined in a juvenile institution until they turn 19.
The other four boys accused in the rape are under 10, the minimum age for
criminal prosecution in Minnesota. One of the four is the victim's 9-year-old brother, who
police say led the attack on his sister.
Police said four of the boys raped the girl, including her brother. Two other
boys, including a 6-year-old, admitted fondling the girl's genitals, police said. A
9-year-old boy told police he only observed.
The girl had told police that her 9-year-old brother heard her cries and tried
to help, but at least two of the suspects stopped him. The brother then left to get an
older brother, who was able to rescue her, she told police.
After questioning the boys, police determined that the younger brother had
instigated the attack in a vacant house and told her not to tell their mother what
happened.
