Fife schoolboy who raped girl, 14, in woodland and sexually assaulted another in alleyway jailed

A teenager who raped an underage girl and sexually assaulted another schoolgirl has been jailed for four and a half years.

Declan Madden, 18, carried out the crimes in his hometown of Dunfermline, in Fife, when he was aged 14 and 15.

He carried out the first attack on October 7, 2022, at a wooded area near Woodmill Road when he raped a 14-year-old girl after pinning her to the ground.

Madden struck again on February 1, 2024, when he assaulted a second teenage girl at a skate park and then at an alleyway with the intent to rape her.

During the attack, he put a hand around her neck and compressed her neck, put his hands over her mouth and sexually assaulted her. The victim managed to push him away and escaped.

A judge told Madden at the High Court in Edinburgh that one of the victims said in a statement provided to the court that the impact of the offending resulted in her having flashbacks and lacking confidence in social settings.

Judge David Young KC said Madden was a child at the time of the offences, but given their gravity, a custodial sentence was required.

He said it would be a lower sentence than that imposed on an adult offender.

Madden, formerly of Dunfermline, had denied the sexual offence charges at an earlier trial but was convicted of both crimes by a jury.

The court heard that he continues to deny the offences.

Defence solicitor advocate Brian Gilfedder said it was accepted that the convictions would result in a custodial sentence.

But he asked the judge to take into account the age of Madden at the time of the offences and now.

First offender Madden was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, and the judge made non harassment orders prohibiting him from contacting or attempting to contact the victims.