Boys in court after 'abusing children in park'

Three boys who forced their young victims to perform degrading sex acts in a park have been given supervision orders.

The boys, two aged 12 and an 11-year-old, subjected a group of youngsters to a humiliating ordeal after an argument broke out at the play area in Bristol.

Two boys were asked to strip and carry out sex acts on each other, while one was tormented into smearing dog excrement on his face, the city's youth court heard.

Another of the victims was asked to drink their urine from a bottle cap but managed to get away with pretending to do so.

Yesterday all three received one-year community orders for the attack in Hengrove Park this September on the group who were aged 13, 12, and 11.

Each admitted two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The two groups of boys knew each other and were originally going to ride each other's bikes, the court heard.

But the innocent meeting quickly degenerated with the victims performing acts of degradation "out of fear".

Two of the defendants had been struggling to come to terms with racist abuse having come to Britain from Africa, their defence team said.

One of the boys spoke up in court to say he wished the episode had never happened.

Magistrate David Parsons sentenced all three to 12-month referral orders during which they will be supervised by youth offending teams.

Nigel Curnock of Avon and Somerset Police said after the case: "Crimes of cruelty and abuse committed by children against children understandably arouse strong emotions. The victims and their families are extremely shocked by what has happened.

"The determination of the police to ensure the defendants face punishment before a criminal court sends out a strong message that behaviour like this is not accepted."