The Norwich Evening News has named a teenage sex attacker who assaulted a six-year-old girl, after persuading a judge to lift a Section 39 order.

News editor Richard Balls told a court that the 15-year-old offender should be named because of the seriousness of the offence.

And despite opposition from the Youth Offending Team – who argued that naming the boy would be “unhelpful” to his rehabilitation and would lead to his family suffering harassment – Judge Peter Jacobs agreed to lift the order.

Richard told HoldtheFrontPage the paper had fought to name the boy because the offence was so serious.

He said: “This was a sexual assault on a six-year-old girl who had been playing with friends and she was dragged off to a disused building.”

He added: “In court the YOT’s concerns were for his rehabilitation and the effect on him once he was released back into the community.

“Our point was that he had received a three-year sentence and would serve at least 18 months, so it would be some time before he was released.

“People in the community deserve to know who carried out such an attack.

“The mother of the victim had also made it clear that she was keen to see him identified.”

The move meant the Evening News was able to report fully on the case, naming and picturing the 15-year-old boy in its pages and on its website.