Bachelor star Laura Byrne lashes out at Scots college in furious rant over treatment of rape-accused schoolboys

Laura Byrne has shared her anger over what she sees as the 'protection' offered to three Scots College schoolboys accused of rape. 

The Bachelor star unleashed a furious rant in an Instagram Story post on Tuesday, shortly before the suspension of one of the accused teenagers was announced. 

'I don't even have words for how disgusted I am in how @thescotscollege_official has handled this,' the 40-year-old began her statement. 

'Three boys, aged 13 and 14, charged with raping a little girl in a Bondi Junction alleyway and the school has done nothing but protect the accused,' she continued.

'The boys have been moved to at-home learning, not expelled, shielded and protected by an institution that is responsible for shaping so many future men.'

On Tuesday, one of the 'Scots College Three', accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in an inner-city alleyway, was suspended from the school and banned from YouTube and PlayStation. 

Last month, the boy and two fellow Scots College students, aged 13 and 14, were arrested and charged with the aggravated sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in a Bondi Junction alleyway.

The boy’s bid to access YouTube and the PlayStation Network was denied by Judge Sue Duncombe on Tuesday after prosecutors warned he could contact the alleged victim, key witnesses, or his co-accused.

The court heard from defence lawyer Kent Park that the boy had been suspended from school and was spending all his time at home in what he called 'essentially house arrest', The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The lawyer said the boy wanted to access YouTube for educational and recreational viewing.

Judge Duncombe said it was 'wrong to open the door so soon' to social media use for the boy. 

She added that the benefit of YouTube videos with regard to his education would be minimal. 

Under their bail conditions, the boys, who cannot be legally identified, are prohibited from leaving home between 6pm and 6am unless with their parents.

In addition, the boys are barred from interacting with each other outside school, visiting Bondi Junction, accessing social media, or contacting the alleged victim. 

NSW Police took out apprehended violence orders against all three boys to protect the alleged victim, including a condition not to approach within 200 metres of a specified address. 

The 13-year-old faces charges of aggravated sexual assault – offender in company – and two counts of aggravated sexually touching another person.

The aggravating factor is that all three were allegedly together when they assaulted the girl.

The alleged attack took place in a Bondi Junction alleyway between 7.30pm and 8.25pm on 22 July - a school night. 

One of the 14-year-olds faces the same three charges as the youngest, while the other is charged with one count of each offence.

During a brief hearing attended by the three boys' lawyers on August 25, Judge Duncombe issued stern warnings to the attending media to keep the identities of the accused schoolboys suppressed.

'There has already been some activity leading to repercussions on those young people,' Judge Duncombe said.

Lawyer John Sutton told the court that the comment sections of social media pages had already disclosed the name of his 13-year-old client.

The trio is due back in court on October 20. They are not required to attend that next hearing if represented by a lawyer.

The case has plunged the Sydney private school, which has fees of up to $54,000 a year, into its gravest scandal in 133 years. 

As first reported by Inside Mail, Scots College has also engaged the services of a public relations firm that specialises in maintaining the reputations of independent schools to help manage the fallout.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

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