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  "path": "/2026/04/21/boy-12-court-charged-sex-attack-left-woman-60s-hospital-28061602/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-21T12:05:13.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
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    "Crime News",
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    "check our news page",
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  "textContent": "The youth was not asked to enter any pleas during a video-link appearance at Birmingham Crown Court (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)\n\nA 12-year-old boy accused of sexually assaulting and wounding a woman aged in her 60s will face trial in October this year.\n\nThe youth was not asked to enter any pleas to the charges and unrelated allegations of intentional strangulation and theft during a video-link appearance at Birmingham Crown Court.\n\nHe was charged by police last month with attacking a woman who was in a serious condition in hospital after being found injured at an address in Birmingham.\n\nJudge Simon Drew KC further remanded the boy into secure accommodation after a 20-minute hearing on Tuesday.\n\nThe boy, who cannot be identified in media reports due to his age, was not required to speak during the hearing, which was watched by his parents from the public gallery.\n\n##  Sign up for all of the latest stories\n\nStart your day informed with Metro's **News Updates** newsletter or get **Breaking News** alerts the moment it happens.\n\nAdjourning the case after hearing legal submissions from prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC and defence lawyer Sukhdev Garcha, Judge Drew ordered a plea and trial preparation hearing to take place in August.\n\nThe judge said of the plea hearing: ‘It seems to me in the circumstances that he ought to be at court for that hearing.’\n\nIt was also ordered that either one of the boy’s parents or another appropriate adult should be allowed to sit next to him at court, outside of the dock.\n\nThe judge added: ‘The next hearing that I can definitely say will take place will be on August 13 and the case will be listed for trial on October 5.’\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,** check our news page.\n\n\nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Boy, 12, in court charged with sex attack that left woman in her 60s in hospital"
}