The two boys were 10 at the time of the attempted rape of an eight-year-old girl, which took place in October last year.
Kidscape director Claude Knights said that allowances made by the court for their age, including the judge and barrister removing their wigs and gowns, did not go far enough.
"It should not have been held in an adversarial court room. This can be intimidating to older people let alone children of this age," she said.
She added that it would have been more appropriate to hear the case in camera, whereby the press and public are excluded, and the defendants should have been able to give video testimony rather than be subjected to cross-examination.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here