Two men are to appear in court after an incident at a Superdrug store.
The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised charges against Jake De-Geus, 29, and Edwin Hirst, 39, after a video was circulated on social media of a teenage boy being pinned to the floor of the shop in East Street, Chichester.
De-Geus, from Chichester, and Hirst, from Fareham, are both charged with false imprisonment and battery against a 15-year-old boy from Worthing. Hirst is also charged with battery against a 16-year-old boy from Chichester.
The charges relate to an incident on March 22 this year.
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David Owen, senior crown prosecutor for CPS South East, said: “The charges were authorised by the CPS after receiving a full file of evidence from Sussex Police.
“Criminal proceedings against Mr De-Geus and Mr Hirst are now active and they have the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
The CPS also determined that no charges would be brought against the two boys who were originally arrested at the scene of the incident.
De-Gues and Hirst have been summonsed to appear at Worthing Magistrates Court on October 24.
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