A rape trial in Britain has collapsed following claims that the judge fell asleep while an alleged child abuse victim was presenting evidence.
Barristers complained Judge Philip Cattan fell asleep as an under-age alleged victim was giving evidence via videolink in the trial of John Quigley at the Manchester crown court in England.
Following concerns that Cattan had missed vital evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service said “The jury has been discharged in the trial of R v John Quigley at Manchester crown court following an issue that arose at court during the cross-examination of the first complainant in the case. The trial will be relisted as soon as possible. The complainants and other witnesses have been kept informed.”
Quigley is on trial for charges of rape of a child under 13, sexually assaulting a child under 13 and various other counts.
The case, which has already cost the British taxpayers £10,000, is relisted for next month before a different judge.
Newly released figures have shown a 20 percent rise in sexual offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in the 12 months to the end of March 2014.
Britain has also been rocked by a series of pedophile scandals in the last three years, which broke out after the death of the BBC’s former presenter Jimmy Savile, who has been branded as one of UK’s most prolific known sexual predators.
Savile died in 2011 and following his death, hundreds of allegations of sex abuse and rape of minors became public.
Several high-profile figures have been arrested in connection with the multiple investigations into the abuse scandal surrounding the BBC’s former presenter.
SRK/NN/AS
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