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Police cordon (symbolic image)
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Four boys aged 12 to 14 have been arrested in the north-western English town of Rochdale on suspicion of rape. As Greater Manchester Police announced on Sunday evening, the victims were a 12-year-old, a 13-year-old and two 14-year-olds.
The officers were alerted to a sexual offense at around 6 p.m. on Saturday evening, according to a police statement. The young suspects are in custody.
The victim was looked after by specially trained emergency services. According to the BBC, it is said to be a young female; the exact age is not yet known. The crime scene - according to the BBC report, the corner of a busy parking lot near a supermarket - has been cordoned off for the time being. The investigation is now underway.
Rochdale's dark past
The town of Rochdale hit the headlines in the past when it emerged in 2012 that a group of 12 men had abused at least 47 underage girls. The defendants were sentenced in May 2012 to prison sentences of between four and 19 years.
An investigation report into the collective rapes found in 2013 that all authorities and contact points involved had failed in the case. Neither doctors, teachers, social workers nor the police responded to reports of abuse from those affected.
ala/dpa