SCHOOLBOY JAILED FOR HORRIFIC ASSAULTS IN DUNFERMLINE
A teenage boy who sexually assaulted a girl under the age of consent and also attacked another schoolgirl has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.Declan Madden, aged 18, committed these acts in his hometown of Dunfermline, Fife, when he was just 14 and 15 years old.
His first assault took place on October 7, 2022, in a wooded area near Woodmill Road, where he forcibly raped a 14-year-old girl by pinning her to the ground.
He committed a second assault on February 1, 2024, at a skate park and in an alleyway, where he attempted to rape a different teenage girl.
During this incident, Madden grabbed her by the neck, applying pressure, covered her mouth, and sexually assaulted her.
The girl managed to fight him off and escape.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, the judge told Madden that one of the victims stated that her experience had caused her to have flashbacks and to feel less confident in social situations.
Judge David Young KC acknowledged Madden was a minor at the time of the crimes but emphasized that due to the seriousness of the offenses, imprisonment was necessary.
He noted that the sentence would be less severe than what an adult might receive.
Madden, formerly living in Dunfermline, had denied the sexual offence charges in a previous trial, but a jury found him guilty of both crimes.
The court was told that Madden still denies committing the acts.
Defence lawyer Brian Gilfedder acknowledged that a custodial sentence was inevitable but asked the judge to consider Madden’s young age at the time of the offences and now.
As a first-time offender, Madden was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely, and the court also issued non-harassment orders to prevent him from contacting or trying to contact the victims.
