Jail for youth after sex attack on schoolgirl in Falkirk’s Callendar Park

Mohammed Kiche (20) was aged 17 when he attacked his 15-year-old victim at Callender Park.

A judge told Kiche at the High Court in Edinburgh that the girl had made it clear she did not want sexual contact or intercourse.

Lady Scott said the girl had said ‘no’ repeatedly and tried to scream and shout but Kiche put his hand over her mouth.

The judge said he had “forcefully persisted” in the attack in the face of victim’s resistance.

She said: “Your victim continues to suffering lasting effects from your attack.”

The teenager has lost confidence and rarely goes out following the ordeal she was subjected to in January 2017.

Lady Scott told Kiche, formerly of Iona Place, Hallglen: “This is a serious offence which requires a prison sentence.”

The judge said that she took into account in sentencing Kiche’s age at the time of the offence and added: “Whilst you are no longer a child you were at the time of this offence.”

She said he appeared to have been “a troubled and immature teenager” whose mother had left him at a young age and whose father had a new family.

Kiche had denied raping the girl but was earlier convicted of the crime following a trial.

He was acquitted of committing a further rape attack on a 14-year-old girl at the same park a week earlier.

Kiche and his victim had been with others when he suggested going to Callender Park, but once there he pushed the girl over a bench and sexually assaulted her.

The victim later revealed to a friend what had happened to her and was crying during her account and had to be “calmed down”.

Defence counsel Jennifer Bain said Kiche recognised the seriousness of the charge on which he was convicted.

She said: “He is under no illusions he is facing a significant period in custody.”

She said he continued to deny the offence and did not know the girl was under 16 at the time.

The defence counsel asked the judge to take into account Kiche’s youth, apparent immaturity and lack of other sexual offending.

Kiche was told he will be placed on the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period.