On Friday (14th February), a judge in Belfast city of North Ireland ordered a Palestinian man to stand trial for the rape of a minor boy.
The incident occured in March 2024 when the accused, identified as Ziad Khawla, assaulted the victim at a nightclub. He was charged with rape and 2 counts of sexual assault.
The accused offered the boy a cigarette and the two walked to a nightclub building. Khawla pushed the victim on the ground and raped him. The minor boy had filed a complaint with the police about the attack.
Khawla was subsequently arrested based on forensic evidence and CCTV footage. He is currently out on bail. On Friday, the judge at the Belfast Crown Court ruled that he would have to stand trial in the case.
