Edinburgh crime: Teenage boy abused and raped girl from age of nine for three years

Balfour began offending at 13 and attacked the younger victim at houses in Edinburgh and Hawick.

A teenage schoolboy abused and raped a younger girl at addresses in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders.

George Balfour, now aged 21, attacked his victim at houses in the city's Wester Hailes area and in Hawick.

The offending began when Balfour was aged 13 and his child victim was just nine years old and continued until he was 16. During the abuse Balfour pushed the girl onto a bed and molested her. Balfour also took off her clothing and subjected her to rape.

Balfour had denied the sexual offending against the girl during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh

Balfour, of Myreslaw Green, in Hawick, had denied the sexual offending against the girl during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in a case the Judge branded ‘distressing’. But he was convicted of the offence on a majority verdict of the jury on Friday, 13 October.

He was found guilty of assaulting her on various occasions between June 2015 and February 2018 and raping her.

The court heard that Balfour was a first offender who has been on bail since he made an initial appearance at a sheriff court in 2021.

The trial judge, Lord Summers, called for the preparation of a background report on him ahead of sentencing. Balfour is due to be sentenced at the High Court, sitting in Aberdeen, on November 14.

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