Teenage boy on trial in Hervey Bay District Court for alleged rape

A teenage boy has pleaded not guilty to the rape of a former partner in the Hervey Bay District Court as the trial into the incident begins.

A trial has begun in the Hervey Bay Children’s Court.

The trial of a teenage boy charged with raping a former partner has begun in Hervey Bay.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape in the Hervey Bay Children’s Court on Tuesday morning.

Crown prosecutor Katrina Overell told the court that sometime between November 19, 2019, and October 31, 2021, the teen, then aged 15, and his partner, also aged 15 at the time, were on a couch at his mother’s house when the incident occurred.

The event happened three months after they had begun dating, the court was told.

The pair had met at the Fraser Coast high school they attended.

In the aftermath of the incident the alleged victim “complained to four people about the rape”.

Ms Overell told the court each telling of the incident was consistent.

“The incident was one of many in the relationship, which was characterised by his violence towards her,” the prosecutor said.

Ms Overell said the boy had a history of “physically abusing” the victim while they were at school.

She said he would “push her”, “choke her” and “sexually assault” her routinely throughout the day.

“She gave up struggling, if she cried, he would tell her to shut up,” Ms Overell told the jury.

When the relationship eventually ended in October 2021, the court heard he told her “I will kill your ex-boyfriend”.

On February 6, 2022, she reported the incident at the Hervey Bay Police and on March 9, 2023, the defendant was arrested and charged.

After Ms Overell’s opening statement, Judge Glen Cash adjourned the matter for an intermission, with the public gallery removed from the courtroom when the victim testimony was set to be played.

Along with the victim, seven other people will testify throughout the three-day trial including members of the teenagers’ families and two police officers.