A 12-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with the alleged sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl.
The Press and Journal reports that the alleged incident took place at a play park in Macduff, Aberdeenshire, on Monday, August 10.
Police Scotland confirmed to the newspaper that following an investigation, a 12-year-old was arrested and charged.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 12-year-old male youth has been arrested and charged in connection with the sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl in the Duff Street area of Macduff on Monday, 10 August, 2026.
“A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
It comes after officers previously said they were following a “positive line of enquiry” into the alleged incident at the playpark next to Macduff Community and Sports Centre.
The Press and Journal reports that other children, including two boys, were understood to have been questioned as potential witnesses by specialist detectives.
Being charged does not mean that a decision has been made to prosecute the 12-year-old.
The age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is 12-years-old, however rules apply when prosecutors are considering a proceedings against a child and prosecution in a criminal court is not automatic.
Authorities will consider whether the allegation should remain with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, therefore proceeding through the courts, or be referred to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administrate (SCRA).
In the latter scenario, this would be dealt with through the Children’s Hearings System.
At this point, no determination has been made that the allegations are true, and the 12-year-old boy is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
