Teenager accused of raping Melbourne woman while jogging released

A teenager accused of mugging a jogger, throwing her to the ground and raping her in a random attack has been released back into society.

He is said to have thrown the jogger to the ground and sexually abused her before she was able to escape and ask two passers-by for help.

The boy was arrested two weeks later and charged with, among other things, rape, stalking, false imprisonment, assault and negligent bodily harm.

He was initially denied bail because the judge found he posed an unacceptable danger to the community.

A psychologist found that the boy had no mental or cognitive problems and that no drug or alcohol use was reported.

However, his lawyer urged that the teenager be released on bail today, saying there is now a plan in place to ensure he is not left to his own devices, thus reducing the risk to the community.

He told the juvenile court that the boy's family was willing to supervise him 24 hours a day and had developed a plan for his reintegration into school and work.

However, the prosecutor said police remained concerned because the boy had left school before and there was no reason why he would not do so again.

“Because this was a random attack, the risk and harm to the community is unacceptable,” the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor also referred to the assessment of the youth welfare office, which did not want the boy to be sent home due to safety concerns regarding his female family members.

The juvenile court also concluded that the teenager should not be given bail because it is still unclear what led to his alleged crime.

However, the judge concluded that the risk to the community could be reduced by strict bail conditions.

These include banning the boy from leaving the house without an adult, imposing a curfew from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. and being subject to regular judicial supervision.

The judge described the alleged offence as a horrific incident against an innocent member of the community.

However, she pointed out that this was the boy's first time in custody and that he had no previous convictions or contact with the police.

The judge said that remand should always be a last resort and that even though the prosecution case was compelling, she was not convinced that he would receive a long prison sentence.

But she warned the boy that this was his only chance.

“If you make even the slightest mistake, you will come back here immediately and will be taken into custody within a very short time,” said the judge.

The boy will have to appear before a juvenile court again next week.