Four boys who were held on suspicion of rape over the weekend have been accused of sexually assaulting a second girl, police have confirmed. The young boys, aged between 12 and 14, were previously arrested over the weekend after officers were alerted around 6pm on Saturday to reports of a rape near a Morrisons in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
There they arrested a 12-year-old boy, a 13-year-old boy and two boys aged 14 – all of whom have since been bailed under investigation.
Initially, police were investigating the alleged incident, said to have taken place near a Morrisons supermarket and Newbold’s Metrolink tram station, which involved one girl. Now investigators say inquiries relate to allegations of rape and sexual assault of two girls.
Superintendent Phil Key, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “As with all investigations into sexual offences, the victims remain our priority, and we have dedicated specialist resources in place to support them and their families as the investigation continues to progress.
“We understand that an incident of such nature is no doubt going to cause the community concern. This is why we continue to have an increased visible presence in the area for reassurance, working alongside key partner agencies, as well as additional resources from our specialist operations branch, patrolling the local transport hubs and networks. The four suspects arrested at the weekend have been bailed with strict conditions.”
