Two young brothers have admitted "grave crimes" against two boys, aged nine and 11, found seriously injured in a South Yorkshire village.
At Sheffield Crown Court, the brothers, who were aged 10 and 11 at the time, admitted causing grievous bodily harm.
They were arrested on 4 April after their younger victim was found in a street covered in blood.
Attempted murder charges over the attack in Edlington, near Doncaster, were dropped by prosecutors.
Brick attack
The victims met their attackers as they played in a park.
The boys were lured to a ravine by the brothers, who promised they would show them a toad they had found, but instead they were subjected to a horrific assault.
One of the boys had a sink dropped on his head, the pair had bricks thrown at them and they were repeatedly stamped on.
The nine-year-old managed to stagger to a nearby house to raise the alarm, covered in blood from wounds to his head and arm.
The 11-year-old boy was discovered unconscious in the nearby wooded ravine.
A woman who first saw the younger child said she would be forever haunted by the image of his bloodied face.
Jean Wright said her 40-year-old son, who found the badly beaten 11-year-old, was left so traumatised he could no longer walk past the scene of the attacks.
The brothers have each pleaded guilty to robbing one of the boys of a mobile phone and the other of cash.
They also admitted two counts of intentionally causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Throughout this case, the prosecution team have had in mind the distress that attending court and giving evidence would cause all the victims
Adrian Lower, CPS
Both injured boys have since been released from hospital following their ordeal.
The brothers were later charged with attempted grievous bodily harm with intent and making a threat to kill in connection with a separate attack on another 11-year-old boy in Doncaster on 28 March.
The pair had denied these offences, but each pleaded guilty to an lesser charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Nicholas Campbell QC, prosecuting, described the offences as "grave crimes".
Mr Campbell said the offences had begun with the violence against the first 11-year-old boy and culminated in the "more serious" attack on the other two boys a week later.
The prosecutor said on the day of the second attack, the two brothers should have been at the police station being questioned about the earlier assault.
Serious case review
He said: "Instead, they went out and attacked [the two boys]."
The barrister said the new offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent carried the same maximum sentence as that of attempted murder.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the decision not to pursue the attempted murder charges was taken in consultation with the victims' families.
Adrian Lower, head of the CPS complex casework unit for South Yorkshire and Humberside, said: " A major consideration in accepting the pleas on these particular charges was that this would avoid the need for these two young victims to relive in court the shocking events of their ordeal.
"Throughout this case, the prosecution team have had in mind the distress that attending court and giving evidence would cause all the victims."
Doncaster Council said a serious case review was now under way to establish if there are lessons to be learned by any agency involved.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | South Yorkshire | Young brothers admit boys' attack
At Sheffield Crown Court, the brothers, who were aged 10 and 11 at the time, admitted causing grievous bodily harm.
They were arrested on 4 April after their younger victim was found in a street covered in blood.
Attempted murder charges over the attack in Edlington, near Doncaster, were dropped by prosecutors.
Brick attack
The victims met their attackers as they played in a park.
The boys were lured to a ravine by the brothers, who promised they would show them a toad they had found, but instead they were subjected to a horrific assault.
One of the boys had a sink dropped on his head, the pair had bricks thrown at them and they were repeatedly stamped on.
The nine-year-old managed to stagger to a nearby house to raise the alarm, covered in blood from wounds to his head and arm.
The 11-year-old boy was discovered unconscious in the nearby wooded ravine.
A woman who first saw the younger child said she would be forever haunted by the image of his bloodied face.
Jean Wright said her 40-year-old son, who found the badly beaten 11-year-old, was left so traumatised he could no longer walk past the scene of the attacks.
The brothers have each pleaded guilty to robbing one of the boys of a mobile phone and the other of cash.
They also admitted two counts of intentionally causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Throughout this case, the prosecution team have had in mind the distress that attending court and giving evidence would cause all the victims
Adrian Lower, CPS
Both injured boys have since been released from hospital following their ordeal.
The brothers were later charged with attempted grievous bodily harm with intent and making a threat to kill in connection with a separate attack on another 11-year-old boy in Doncaster on 28 March.
The pair had denied these offences, but each pleaded guilty to an lesser charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Nicholas Campbell QC, prosecuting, described the offences as "grave crimes".
Mr Campbell said the offences had begun with the violence against the first 11-year-old boy and culminated in the "more serious" attack on the other two boys a week later.
The prosecutor said on the day of the second attack, the two brothers should have been at the police station being questioned about the earlier assault.
Serious case review
He said: "Instead, they went out and attacked [the two boys]."
The barrister said the new offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent carried the same maximum sentence as that of attempted murder.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the decision not to pursue the attempted murder charges was taken in consultation with the victims' families.
Adrian Lower, head of the CPS complex casework unit for South Yorkshire and Humberside, said: " A major consideration in accepting the pleas on these particular charges was that this would avoid the need for these two young victims to relive in court the shocking events of their ordeal.
"Throughout this case, the prosecution team have had in mind the distress that attending court and giving evidence would cause all the victims."
Doncaster Council said a serious case review was now under way to establish if there are lessons to be learned by any agency involved.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | South Yorkshire | Young brothers admit boys' attack
