According to WWNY station, the minor, whose identity cannot be disclosed for ethical reasons, was arrested by the New York State Police in connection with an incident that happened last year on Thanksgiving.
The alleged incident happened in the town of Brasher Falls near the Canadian border.
The child was charged with third-degree rape on March 23. The boy is said to have been cited and released. The case will reportedly be handled in Family Court where the boy will be tried as a juvenile delinquent.
Authorities said the incident was first reported on November 26. No further details have been released about the incident or about the age of the alleged victim.
However, a New York City attorney, who is with a group that handles youth defence cases, slammed the actions of the authorities in bringing charges against the seven-year-old.
Anthony Martone, a felony youth defence unit director at Queens Defenders, said that the charges are ‘absurd’ and believes that it is almost impossible for them to stick. Martone told the station,
“Instinctually, it shouldn’t happen that a seven-year-old – I don’t think you even could really realise what you’re doing at seven years old. So I think it’s absurd to charge a seven-year-old with rape,”
“They’d have to prove he actually physically committed this act, which to me it almost seems to be an impossibility.”
Currently, under New York state law, children aged seven and over can be arrested and prosecuted as juvenile delinquents, the outlet noted.
Lawmakers are currently trying to pass a bill through Albany to increase the minimum age to 12 following a string of controversial arrests of young children.
Police say the investigation is ongoing.
