Two teenagers who were accused of attempting to rape a schoolgirl in an incident which led to racially-motivated rioting in Northern Ireland will have the charges withdrawn, the Public Prosecution Service has said.
The incident sparked several days of unrest in Ballymena, Co Antrim, which also led to further outbreaks of violence in other parts of Northern Ireland.
The boys, aged 14 and 15, had been in custody since they first appeared in court in June, when they addressed the court through a Romanian interpreter.
A PPS spokesperson said there had been “significant evidential developments” in the case.
They added: “Where new information or evidence becomes available, it will be considered along with all the existing information and evidence in the case and the test for prosecution applied.
“We have recently been made aware of significant evidential developments in this case.
“In light of this new evidence, it has been determined that the test for prosecution is no longer met on evidential grounds, and therefore the case should not proceed.”
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