A 10-year-old girl was raped and indecently assaulted in her primary school by a gang of her classmates, the Old Bailey has heard.

The five boys, aged nine and 10 at the time, allegedly dragged the girl into the lavatories during lunchbreak. There she was stripped and sexually assaulted before three of the boys raped her, the jury was told.

The law was changed in 1994 to allow 10-year-olds to be charged with rape but one boy is not on trial because he is too young.

Two other boys looked on and laughed as the attack took place at a west London school, said Mark Dennis, prosecuting.

The two 10-year-old boys are believed to be Britain's youngest rape defendants. They are also accused with two other boys, now aged 10 and 11, of indecently assaulting the girl at their London school in May 1997. All four boys deny all the charges.

The defendants wore casual clothes as they entered the court, carrying comics and colouring books. One boy sucked his thumb as the girl gave evidence; another whispered to his father as he sat at his defence team's table.

The victim, who gave evidence via a video link, told how the boys attacked her during the lunchtime break.

Girl said nothing to teacher

After her ordeal was over, she said she was told to get dressed. The girl added: "They said if I told the teachers they would beat me up."

She went to see the school secretary, but told her that she had fallen over and cut her lip.

After returning to lessons, the girl said nothing to her teacher, although the woman noted that the girl, who was not very conscientious in class, seemed withdrawn and applied herself to work.

Asked why she had not said anything, the girl replied: "I was scared."

At home that night the girl told her mother some boys had told her to strip, but did not say any more after her mother criticised her for not "hitting back" at the boys.

Full horror revealed

"Unfortunately, her mother did not quite take on board what she was being told," said Mr Dennis.

Despite the girl's pleas to stay at home, her mother sent her to school the next day with a letter to the headmistress asking her to investigate her daughter's claims.

It was then that the full horror of the alleged attack was revealed as the headmistress interviewed the boys.

Mr Dennis said all the boys claimed the girl had consented to the incident.

The police were called in and all five boys were arrested. Four of the boys were charged in August 1997. The trial continues.
 

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