Five Boys Arrested for Alleged Rapes of Middle School Girls

Five Redwood City middle school boys have been arrested for allegedly attempting to sexually assault two 12-year-old girls on a school field trip in March, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

The five Kennedy Middle School students were arrested June 8, shortly after two female students told their school counselor they had been sexually assaulted on an outing to Stulsaft Park in Redwood City three months ago.

The counselor immediately informed the school principal, who in turn informed police, Redwood City School District spokeswoman Naomi Hunter said.

Police investigated the incident and on Wednesday five male students were arrested and taken to a juvenile facility.

The district will proceed with expulsion hearings after the summer once school is back in session to determine the appropriate disciplinary action for these students.

“I was very distressed when I heard about the incident that was reported,” said Superintendent Jan Christensen. “Nothing matters more to us than the safety of our students, and we are thankful the police acted quickly after the students reported this incident to their counselor.”

Christensen said the district is conducting an internal investigation that will examine the current safety procedures to determine if changes need to be made.

All of the students - the victims and their alleged attackers - were between the ages of 12 and 14 and were part of the school's Newcomer Program, which provides support and instruction to students who have been in the U.S. for less than a year, Hunter said.

School district officials today vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and examine all safety policies and procedures pertaining to school trips, district director of assessment and spokeswoman Jane Yuster said.

"Our number one message to parents is that their kids are safe in Redwood City schools and on school-sponsored trips and activities," Yuster said.

"The district is very concerned that this potential incident took place," she said.

The five boys were arraigned Monday at the San Mateo County Youth Services Center on felony charges of assault with intent to commit rape, sexual battery and committing a lewd act on a minor under the age of 14, according to the district attorney's office.

-Bay City News contributed to this article