A boy of ten who has been accused of raping a younger boy may not be fit to stand trial, a court was told yesterday.

The alleged attacker is thought to be one of the youngest suspects in the country to be charged with serious sex offences.

He had been due enter a plea at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, but the judge was told the boy might not have sufficient intellectual capacity to stand trial.

The ten-year-old was arrested after an abuse inquiry by Newcastle East End detectives, who were called to investigate an alleged sex assault on a child.

Sensitive inquiries had to be made into the circumstances surrounding the alleged offences.

They led to the ten-year-old being charged with rape and indecent assault on a boy, in a house in Newcastle.

John Evans, prosecuting, told the Recorder of Newcastle, Judge David Hodson, the case should be adjourned for reports to be prepared.

Ben Nolan QC, mitigating, said child psychologists were preparing reports on the boy.

He said: "They need to assess the boy with his mother and without his mother and it will be at least six weeks before these reports are available.

"When I am armed with appropriate medical evidence, I may be submitting an argument that this boy does not have sufficient intellectual capacity to stand trial and may not be fit to plead.

"I am sanguine that the medical evidence will support this position."

Neither the accused boy or alleged victim can be identified, for legal reasons.

The indecent assault charge relates to an alleged offence between last August 26 and November 1. A charge of rape was made recently and refers to an alleged attack on August 31 last year.

The case was adjourned until August 20.

* In law, the criminal age of responsibility is ten and above. Legal experts and child welfare organisations say that it is rare for cases to reach court where children are alleged sexual abusers of other children.

Difficulties arise in the ability of a young victim to be able to give evidence, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence.

However, medical evidence and improved interviewing and guidelines have enabled prosecutions to go ahead.