7-year-old charged with rape in New York
More than half of US states have no minimum age at which a child can be tried as a juvenile delinquent
www.independent.co.uk
A seven-year-old boy in New York has been charged with rape, according to a report.
State police confirmed the unidentified child in Brasher Falls was charged with third-degree rape on 23 March, WWNY reported.
The alleged incident was said to have been reported on Thanksgiving and the child was said to have been cited and released. The case will reportedly be handled in Family Court.
The boy appears to be being charged as a juvenile delinquent, a New York City attorney, who is with a group that handles youth defense cases, told the station.
“Instinctually, it shouldn’t happen that a seven year old - I don’t think you even could really realise what you’re doing at seven years old. So I think it’s absurd to charge a seven year old with rape,” said Anthony Martone, Queens Defenders, felony youth defense unit director.
He added: “They’d have to prove he actually physically committed this act, which to me it almost seems to be an impossibility.”
Currently, under New York state law, children aged seven and over can be arrested and prosecuted as juvenile delinquents, the outlet noted.
A bill pending in Albany would increase the minimum age for being charged as a juvenile delinquent to 12-years-old.
