SHAUN SUTHERLAND FROM PERTH CONVICTED OF RAPE INVOLVING 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN EDINBURGH

A 16-year-old boy from Perth, named Shaun Sutherland, has been found guilty of committing serious sexual offenses involving a young girl aged just 12. The incident took place on the evening of May 25, 2012, and the case was heard at the High Court in Edinburgh. Sutherland was charged with twice raping the girl after both had consumed alcohol illegally, as they were under the legal drinking age. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Sutherland had engaged in sexual activity with the girl on two separate occasions within the same night. He admitted to police that he had sexual intercourse with her, which formed the basis of the charges against him. The court was informed that Sutherland pleaded guilty to the charges of rape involving a child under 13, and the judge, Lord Bannatyne, chose to defer sentencing until the following month to consider the case further.

Further court reports painted a picture of a group of young people, mostly aged 16 or younger, who frequently gathered in Perth's South Inch area. The girl, despite her mother’s warnings not to go, decided to visit South Inch along with her friends. That night marked her first experience of drinking vodka, which left her feeling tipsy and dizzy. During this vulnerable state, she and her friends were in a pedestrian tunnel when Sutherland and another young man approached them. It was during this encounter that Sutherland admitted to having sexual relations with the girl in that very location.

Following the incident, the girl, who was visibly intoxicated, received a text message from her mother instructing her to take a taxi home. She complied and left the scene. Evidence from social media showed that there had been contact between Sutherland and the girl prior to the incident. When questioned by police, Sutherland claimed that the sexual acts were consensual and that the girl was a willing participant. However, this assertion was challenged by the fact that the girl was under the age of consent at the time, making any sexual activity with her legally non-consensual regardless of her apparent willingness. The defense argued that, factually, the conduct was consensual, but the court clarified that, under the law, a minor under 13 cannot legally give consent to sexual activity, and therefore, Sutherland’s actions constituted a serious criminal offense.